Someone To Cry For Me
by Creedo
Summary: Starsky and Hutch invesitgate a rash of horrific murders of young prostitutes.
1. Chapter 1

**Feedback: Anytime, any place, any where.**

**Disclaimer: I make no money from this. Starsky and Hutch do not belong to me, I just borrow them, and promise to return them in the same condition I found them in. My characters do belong to me, and I can use them as I see fit, **_**until they start fighting back.**_

**Authors Note: FFQ, I hope this is more to your liking. I hope you let me know. Thanks Eli for all your kind words. **

_**I have named this story, but it may change as I get further into it.**_

**Someone To Cry For Me**

**Chapter One**

It was a cool night. Several police cars had already blocked off the alley along with the surrounding streets, by the time Starsky and Hutch had arrived on scene. The alley was dirty and damp.

The Torino screeched to a halt, headlights on high beams, emergency lights flashing and the red mars light blinking on top of the roof. Both detectives got out of the car, Hutch flipping up the collar of this jacket as Starsky zipped his, to protect them from the chill.

They entered the long dark alley, dumpsters and trash lined both sides. There was a flurry of activity, officers running around collecting evidence. The flashes of the cameras taking photos of the crime scene and the tan coroners van parked in the middle, both back doors opened wide.

The body had already been covered in a crisp white sheet. It lay about forty feet from the back door of an all-night Italian restaurant. Apparently one of the employees was taking out the trash and discovered the brutally beaten body of a young woman.

Two uniformed officers had already taken his statement. Hutch knelt next to the covered body with Starsky standing over him. Officer Tom Whitefield gave the two detectives a synopsis of information gathered so far.

"Body was found approximately 12:10 this morning by Gustave Panderini. Deceased is Caucasian female, between 18-25. Body shows multiple contusions and lacerations, along with several obvious broken bones. No ID found… "The officer handed Starsky a Polaroid taken of the body."

Hutch lifted back the sheet revealing a heavily bruised face. Both he and Starsky winced at the sight of the brutality this young woman must have endured.

Officer Whitefield continued. "… Evidence shows she was killed at another location and dumped here. Preliminary exam by Coroner shows several avulsed teeth, likely caused by traumatic force, left eye dislodged from socket, two missing fingernails…"

"Jesus Christ!" Hutch ran his hand across his face. No matter how many times they were subjected to the evils of man, it never got any easier.

"Have R&I run a cross check with any missing persons reports fitting the victims general description." Starsky instructed Whitefield, waving him on his way. They had heard enough. Starsky knelt next to his partner. "Whatdya thinking'?"

"I'm thinkin' she either pissed someone off pretty badly, or we have a real sicko on our hands." Hutch said, covering the body back up.

"Yeah, I think you're right." He concurred slapping Hutch on the upper back as he stood back up, placing his hands in his jacket pockets. His partner quickly joining him.

Hutch rubbed his hands together blowing warm air into them, his brow furrowed.

"You okay?" Starsky could see the distress on his friends face.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He thought for a moment. "You know , sometimes I just don't get it. I mean, how someone does something so horrific, so barbaric like this…"

Starsky could see that the condition of the body had gotten to Hutch more so than usual. Brutal murders were hard for both of them. They had to learn to turn off their emotions, but sometimes that just didn't work. Especially when it came to women or children.

"Well, I say we find the creep an' keep this from happenin' to anyone else, ever! Whatdya say?" Hutch nodded in silent agreement, trying to fight back the stomach contents rising through his body.

They both returned to the heated interior of the Torino.

"What's say we stop by Huggy's, put some feelers out there." Hutch suggested. "Maybe he can pick up something of the streets."

"Good idea." Starsky replied as he started the car, reviving the engine.

XXXX

They pulled up in front of the Pitts, Starsky parking in the only spot available. He gunned the motor one more time before silencing the engine.

When they walked through the door, they were quickly greeted by their friend.

"Well, well, well, look what the cat drug in." Huggy teased. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked as the two detectives took seats at the bar.

"Hey Huggy." Hutch acknowledged.

"Can I interest you two in a cocktail? Perhaps one of my Huggy specials?" He offered.

"Just coffee for me Hug." Starsky ordered.

"Make that two." Hutch agreed holding up his two fingers.

A disappointed Huggy threw his dish towel over his left shoulder.

"You two are seriously bad for business." The thin black man complained, as he retrieved two saucers and two cups from behind the counters and placed them in front of the detective. "So what brings you two here, in the middle of the night? It sure in the heck ain't my incredible coffee." He said as he filled their cups.

"Need your help, Hug." Starsky explained.

"What else is new? What is it this time? Animal, vegetable or mineral?"

"We got a dead body, about four miles from here. Young woman, white, blond hair, early 20's. Found her in the alley behind Adamo's Italian restaurant." Starsky recapped.

"We want you to keep an ear out, Hug. See if anyone's braggin' 'bout the killing or looking for someone missing, maybe. She was beaten pretty badly," Hutch described. "I'm not sure if they're gonna be able to ID her anytime soon, could you do that for us?"

"Consider it done, my friend."

"Thanks Huggy." Starsky stated, as the two men finished their coffee. The dark-haired detective reached into his pocket, retrieving a 5 dollar bill, throwing it onto the counter. "Keep the change." he said, as he and Hutch rose from the bar and returned to the vehicle.

"Where to now?" Starsky asked, looking to his partner.

"Let's head to the station, see if R&I has come up with any possible leads through missing persons." Hutch responded.

"I also want to cross-check any similar murders, say in the past twelve months, with the same M.O." His partner elaborated.

"You thinkin' serial killer?" The blond asked inquisitively.

"I'm sayin' we _can't_ rule anything out, and I think the sooner we start checkin' into it, the sooner we _can_ rule it out." With that, Starsky cranked the steering wheel sharply, accelerating, causing the Torino's tires to squeal as he pulled a U-turn on the deserted street.

XXXX

Once they were back at the station, which was minimally staffed in the wee hours of the morning, R&I had given Starsky and Hutch a list of about eight similar homicides over the past 12 months, but if they wanted the files, they'd have to pull them themselves, which of course they did.

After collecting all the records they returned to their desks in the empty squad room. The only detectives in at this hour, were ones with no lives, or ones called in on new assignments. Tonight, the detectives felt like they fell into both categories.

With the exception of one of the eight cases, the only similarities were that they were female, under 30. The one case that caught the detective's interests was the murder of a 19 year-old girl about seven months ago. She too, was brutally beaten and apparently tortured before she was eventually killed. It took two months for them to finally identify the body as being that of a teenage runaway from Ohio. She had run away about three years earlier when she was just sixteen. Little was known about her whereabouts from the time she left her family from the time she left her family to the time her corpse turned up. There was speculation that she had been in Bay City for about two years, mostly running the streets, involved in prostitution and small-time drug dealing for a local pimp.

Her name was Cecelia Davis. Other than her family in Ohio, nobody really cared about her death until now. Looking over the file and the photographs of the beaten girl, Starsky and Hutch both felt, they both _knew_, these two murders were somehow related. Their job now, was to figure out how.

"Hey Starsk? Who was assigned to work the Davis case?" Hutch asked.

Rummaging through the paperwork, Starsky answered, "Knight and Peterson."

Hutch thought for a moment, raising one eyebrow at his partner, who returned the expression. "Aren't they on extended leave? Knight was injured last month."

Snapping his fingers at Hutch, he remembered, "That's right! And Peterson is on vacation, gone for three weeks."

"Yep."

"You mean to tell me that their cases weren't reassigned?" Starsky exclaimed.

"Well, it doesn't look like this one was." Hutch answered.

"What are you sayin'?" Starsky knew exactly what his friend was getting at.

"I think we need to take this case. I think this one and the one for tonight are related. If we solve one, we solve the other." Hutch explained.

"Okay, but I think _you_ better ask Dobey. He's still pissed at me for toilet papering his office and wrapping his furniture in aluminum foil."

"He's still ticked about that?" Hutch chuckled.

"Yeah. I'm lucky I only got a week of traffic duty."

"Okay, I'll ask him first thing in the morning. What say we go catch a few hours sleep while the crime team wraps things up in the alley."

"Sounds good." Starsky responded. Knowing that they only had a few hours, Starsky posed, "Your place or mine?"

They both knew it would be best for them to travel to one destination. Wherever they chose, the other detective would sleep on the couch.

"I'll flip you for it." Hutch regretted the offer the moment he said it, he never won at this game.

Starsky fished in his pocket and retrieved a coin, placing it on his index finger and thumb. "Call it." He said, as he flipped it high into the air.

"Heads!" Hutch blurted out.

Starsky caught the coin in midair and slapped it on the back of his hand, peeking at it quickly. "Tails! I win! My place it is." He said, as he returned the coin to his pocket.

"Damn." Hutch cursed in disappointment.

Hutch never looked at the coin, he never asked to. He trusted his friend, maybe that's why he always lost at that game…

To Be Continued…


	2. Chapter 2

**Feedback: If it feels right, please **_**'do it'.**_

**Disclaimer: I make no money from this. Starsky and Hutch do not belong to me, I just borrow them, and promise to return them in the same condition I found them in. My characters do belong to me, and I can use them as I see fit, **_**until they start fighting back.**_

**Authors Note: I want to thank you Strut for your help finding the medical info. I found the research fascinating. Perhaps that's because of my twisted mind. Thanks Eli for your constant encouragement.**

_**I have named this story, but it may change as I get further into it.**_

**Chapter 2**

"Come on Starsky, wake up." Hutch shook his friends shoulder. Starsky let out a groan, followed by an incoherent attempt at a sentence. Hutch could tell his friend was dreaming, and it sounded like a good dream.

Starsky could feel himself being pulled out of slumber. His body fought to stay put, enjoying a day at the beach with an imaginary flight attendant.

Hutch just shook him again, only rougher this time, yelling out his name, "Starsky!" snapping his friend out of his dream and back to reality with sudden jolt.

"Who… What..?" Starsky sat straight up in his bed, breathing heavily, ready for an attack, only to find his blond partner staring at him, smiling. Obviously amused at the sight of his startled expression. Starsky blinked several times, clearing his vision, then rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Very funny!" He retorted.

"Well, excuse me! Whatya want me to do, throw ice water on you?" Hutch smirked.

"Alright, alright. I'm awake now." He rubbed one hand down the entire length of his face.

"Lets get down to the station, Dobey should be in by now."

Starsky got out of bed, after a quick shower and shave, they headed out to see Dobey.

XXXX

"So you two think both of these murders are related?:" Dobey asked.

"We think there's enough similarities to check it out." Starsky explained as the two detectives sat facing Dobey's desk, in his office.

"Starsky and I want Cecelia Davis' case to be reassigned to us, permanently. If they are related, we'll need unrestricted access. If they're not, than at least you'll have two _active_ detectives working the case."

"See here, I don't know how her case got overlooked." Dobey said defensively. "Must've been some kind of clerical mix up. I'm gonna look into it." Dobey waved his finger at both of them. "In the meantime consider the case reassigned."

"Thanks Cap'. Any idea when we'll get the Coroner's report from our Jane Doe this morning'?" Hutch inquired.

"I'm expectin' it later today. I'll let you know when it comes in."

"Great!" Starsky stated and then looked at Hutch. "Let's hit the streets. Put the word out on Cecelia Davis."

"Huggy's?"

"Where else?" Starsky smacked him upside the back of the head for asking such a stupid question.

"Hey!" Hutch raised his finger in warning at his friend, who just laughed. They left the Captains office with Starsky pulling the door shut behind him, a little harder than was really necessary.

"Starsky!" Dobey yelled after him.

XXXX

As they drove to The Pitts, Hutch reviewed the file on Cecelia Davis. "Jeez Starsk, listen to this," he said as he read from the file. "Both knee caps were broken, she had a fractured jaw, eight broken ribs, along with every finger on her right hand. According to the coroner's report these injuries caused significant discoloration and bruising to the skin indicating all injuries occurred while the victim was still alive."

"But why? She was nineteen, why would anyone do somethin' like this?"

"Hold on, there's more. Right ring and index finger nails appear acutely missing." Hutch continued.

"Acutely missing? What the hell's _that _supposed to mean?" Starsky shook his head.

"Starsky, someone ripped her fingernails out."

The curly haired detective had to swallow hard to keep the lump in his throat from choking him.

"Whitefield said the victim this mornin' was missing some fingernails." Starsky stated.

"That's right. And from what I saw, she was beaten to a bloody pulp. Starsk, I'm sure these two cases are related. Question is, why were these girls killed, and by who?"

"That, my friend, is where we come in."

Hutch nodded in silent agreement.

XXXX

The bar was empty, with the exception of two regular night shift workers, not many people were drinking at 11:45 in the morning. The two detectives sat at a table joined by their friend Huggy Bear. Hutch showed the thin black man a picture of Cecelia Davis' body, while Starsky explained the gravity of the situation.

"She was nineteen, Hug." Starsky pled. "We want the animal or animals that did this to her!"

"Word has it that she may have been doin' some prostituting and/or small time drug runnin' on the streets." Hutch elaborated.

"We wanna know who she was workin' for." Starsky threw in. "Her name was Cecelia, Cecelia Davis."

Hutch pulled out another photo from the file and handed it to Huggy. "This is what she looked like before someone had a field day on her."

"Man, that was one foxy lady, what a waste! I'll get the word out." He assured them.

"Thanks buddy." Hutch said, "You can hold on to that photo, if you think it'll help." He took back the one of her dead beaten body and placed it back in the folder.

He and his partner rose from the table, said their good-byes and headed for the car. As they reached the vehicle they heard the radio call them.

"Zebra 3, come in Zebra 3." Mildred called to them.

"This is Zebra 3, go ahead." Hutch responded into the radio, as he climbed in the passenger side of the front seat, his partner climbing behind the wheel.

"Zebra 3, I have a call from Captain Dobey."

Hutch looked at Starsky, "Patch it through."

"10-4, Zebra 3."

"Hutch? I just got a call from the Medical Examiner's office, it seems they have an initial report for you. Dr. Henry Bray wants you to meet him at his office."

"10-4 Cap'. We're on our way." Hutch returned the hand piece to the holder on the radio as Starsky started the Torino and headed downtown.

XXXX

The Coroners office was dismal and cold. Dark panel lined all four walls. Built in bookshelves went from floor to ceiling on three of the walls. The shelves held what appeared to be, an impressive library. There was a large oak desk, behind it was a high back, red leather chair. Starsky and Hutch sat in matching chairs opposite the desk. The tall blond noticed his partner fidgeting.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

"This place gives me the willies." He said as he nervously shifted in his chair. "It's dark and creepy."

"Relax Starsk. It's just an office." Hutch reassured him.

"It smells funny in here." He pouted.

The door opened quickly, causing Starsky to jump to his feet. Dr Henry Bray entered, he was the chief Medical Examiner on staff with the Bay City Police Department. He was called in early this morning to handle this case personally. He was an older man with grey hair and a stark white mustache and beard. Dr Bray carried a tan folder in and one hand and his bifocals in the other.

"Thank you gentlemen for waiting." He greeted them with an outstretched hand.

"I'm Detective Hutchinson, this is my partner, Detective Starsky." The three men exchanged firm hand shakes.

"We want to thank you for taking the time to handle this case, Doctor." Starsky acknowledge the Doctor's sacrifice of his day off.

"Well this is quite a difficult situation, officers, I sure hope you'll be able to catch the individuals responsible for this heinous act." The two officers looked at each other with a nod of confidence, then returned their stare back to the pudgy doctor. "You realize my report is strictly preliminary. We are still waiting for the toxicology reports and some additional x-rays I ordered, aren't back yet."

"We understand that, and appreciate the fact that you are trying to expedite this case." Starsky stated.

The doctor began his oral report, reading from his notes:

"Corpse, now referred to as Jane Doe, appears to be between 18-20 years old. External exam reveals no obvious malformations of any portions of the extremities or appendages. Left lower lateral chest wall shows abrasions and contusions with overlying rib fractures of rib numbers 6, 7 and 8. Right lower lateral chest wall shows more of the same with 5 more rib fractures. "

Both detectives took a deep breath, this wasn't going to be easy to hear. Hutch pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes and lowering his head. Starsky watched his partners distressed expressions, as the doctor continued:

"Body presents several other blunt force injuries to the head and trunk region. Teeth # 8, 9, 14, 24, and 25 have been completely avulsed. Lower jaw or mandible, has been fractured in two separate places. Left forearm presents fractured ulna and radius. Left ring and index fingernails acutely missing."

"Acutely missing?" Starsky recalled his earlier conversation with Hutch.

Hutch looked at his partner. "Eight broken ribs, a broken jaw?" He repeated. "Same as Cecelia Davis."

"Severe trauma appears to have caused left eye to dislodge from the orbital cavity." Dr Bray continued, ignoring their side bar conversation. "Both right and left hands and forearms showed over a dozen contusions and incised wounds consistent with defensive injuries."

"She went down fighting." Starsky commentated, giving Jane Doe a post mortem pat on the back for not giving up.

"Both patellae were broken." The medical examiner informed the duo.

"Doc, patellae? That's the knee caps, right?" Hutch inquired.

"Yes, that's right." He answered.

"Excuse me, Doctor." Starsky interjected, placing his thumb and forefinger by his lips in thought. He pointed at the Coroner, "Can you tell over what period of time she sustained all these injuries?"

"Well, it's not an exact science, but with the different healing stages each injury and the surrounding tissues were in, I would say the first broken bones, most likely, took place two and a half to three weeks ago. Starting with her knee caps, if I had to venture a guess."

"That would make sense. Bust her knee caps, you don't have to worry 'bout her getting away." Hutch reluctantly added.

"From the signs of the bruising, I'd say she was alive for most, if not all of these injuries." The doctor gave his professional opinion.

Hutch rose from his chair and started pacing the room, placing his hands in the pockets of his jeans, feeling a chill come over him.

"You see, once the deceased's heart stops beating, the blood is no longer under pressure. Although you can still bruise post-mortem, it is much more difficult to achieve the hemorrhage. It would take a great force to result in a very small bruise. Jane Doe's mottling or bruising of the skin, is so extensive, I'm certain that it occurred pre-mortem."

"T'riffic." Starsky mumbled in disgust. "Well, I think we have our answer." He said as he looked up at Hutch. "These two murders are definitely related."

"What's the connection, the significance of the eight ribs, two fingernails, and the other broken bones?" Hutch posed the question out loud for the three of them in the room to ponder.

"It could just be some perverted sense of routine, or this person is stamping their own mark on the victim." Starsky threw out.

Hutch snapped his head to look at his partner. "So everyone would know, when one of these killings happened, who did it. Like advertisement, in a way."

"You could be on to something." Dr. Bray was looking over the file on Cecelia Davis. "It seems to me that the similarities couldn't possibly be coincidence. And, whoever did this had _some_ kind of medical training."

"What makes you say that?" Starsky furrowed his brow at the man.

"On both victims, the same ribs, I mean the exact same ones are broken. Ms. Davis was right handed, the nails of her right hand were removed in a smooth, bloodless fashion. Ms. Doe was left handed, her nails of her left hand removed the same way. This person is putting his signature on his victims."

"But why?" Hutch tried to rub away the headache pounding in his temples.

"That's the million dollar question." Starsky said sighing as he rose from the chair, offering his hand to Dr. Bray. "Thank you for your time Doctor." He shook his hand, as Hutch joined his partner in saying goodbye to the gentleman.

"If you think of anything else, please feel free to call us." Hutch offered. Oh, and when the final report is finished, if you could just let our Captain know, we'd really appreciate it."

With that, both men left the Medical Examiner's office and headed out to the streets, someone out there knew who this girl was, and what happened to her. They were determined to find out…

To Be Continued


	3. Chapter 3

**Feedback: If it feels right, please **_**'do it'.**_

**Disclaimer: I make no money from this. Starsky and Hutch do not belong to me, I just borrow them, and promise to return them in the same condition I found them in. My characters do belong to me, and I can use them as I see fit, **_**until they start fighting back.**_

**Authors Note: Thank you to all who are reading and reviewing this story. And to those who just chose to read it. I really do appreciate it all! Thanks Eli and Strut for your constant encouragements.**

_**Warning: There is a critical injury of one of the main characters. This chapter is not for the faint of heart. **_

**Chapter 3**

"Yeah, that's right." Huggy was bent at his waist, leaning in Hutch's side window of the Torino. They were in the alley behind Huggy's establishment, it was early evening, the sun was just setting. The black man continued, "She went by CeCe, and from what I hear, she was workin' for Joey Martins. He's one real bad dude, has a rep for keepin' his girls in line, if you catch my drift?"

"Where can we find him, Hug?" Starsky asked, looking straight ahead out the front window.

"I'm workin' on that. He never stays in one place for too long. Last I heard he was hangin' out at some dive over on Fifth an' Broadway, Tony's Tavern I think. I just dunno if he still frequents that place or not."

"Well, that give us a place to start, thanks Huggy." Hutch acknowledged.

"Hey, another thing you guys might be interested in, word has it that CeCe was tryin' to get out, go straight. She enrolled at a local college, taking some day classes or somethin'. Some people think that's why she got offed. There's only one way to get away from Martins, and it's not a very appealing option, if you hear what I'm sayin'?"

"We hear ya'." Starsky started the monster motor of his car, revving the engine a couple of times before shifting into drive.

"Thanks, Hug. We'll be in touch." Hutch said as their friend stepped away from the car. Starsky squealing the tires slightly as they pulled away. "You think Jane Doe was tryin' to get out too?" He asked his partner.

"There's no way to tell, we don't even know _who_ she is." Starsky said in frustration.

"It seems hard to believe that nobody is missing or lookin' for her. Where are her parents? Brothers, sisters?"

"Got me." Starsky answered his friends rhetorical question. They drove in silence and deep thought to Tony's Tavern. Starsky parked his car at the rear entrance, and they walked around the front of the business.

They entered the bar, it was the epitome of the typical 'biker bar'. Several burly, hairy men with serious beer bellies lined the Tavern, all clad in the similar leather vests or jackets, boots and jeans. The women were the 'biker mama' types, sporting as many tattoos and as much leather as the guys. The air was heavy with the fog and the stench of cigarette smoke. The sound of gruff voices, clanking glasses and laughter filled the place.

"Nice crowd." Starsky whispered to his partner, as he fanned the cloud of smoke away from his face. Hutch just prayed silently that his abrasive partner wouldn't get them in trouble in this setting. Starsky was not known for his tact, that's for sure.

Both detectives headed straight for the bartender, pulling their badges from their back pockets. The man behind the bar was a tall dark haired man, very muscular. Even Hutch had to look up at him to meet his gaze.

"I'm Detective Ken Hutchinson, this is my partner Detective Dave Starsky." He introduced him with a simple hand gesture, providing their shields for identification.

"Whatta you want?" The man asked, cutting out any pleasantries and getting right to the point.

Starsky and Hutch looked at each other shrugging off the man's rudeness. "We're lookin' for someone, we hear he likes this place." Starsky explained, returning his badge to his back pocket.

"You don't say. Well, I'm afraid I can't help you." Was the response they received.

"You don't even know who we're lookin' for yet!" Starsky retorted, the irritation in his voice rising.

"Like I said, I can't help you!" He repeated. Starsky looked at Hutch, who just raised his eyebrows and shrugged at his hot-headed friend. Starsky walked around the bar approaching the man from the right side.

Hutch leaned over the counter and stared the man intently in the eyes. "Perhaps you didn't hear my friend, we need your help finding someone." Hutch looked to his left and right checking his surroundings for possible threats. He knew his partner was about to lose his patience with this man.

Starsky grabbed the mans' collar in one hand and pulled him close, bending him down to his level. "His name is Joey Martins. A real stand-up fella, from what I hear." He said pursing his lips together and shaking his finger in the mans' face. "He gets off beating up young girls, an' I don't like him!" The stare of Starsky's ice blue eyes cut through him.

The bartender attempted to twist from Starsky's grasp, causing the detective to grab his shirt in both hands and slam him into the back of the bar, glass shattering around him. Hutch turned around to face the crowd in the bar, badge in one hand, Magnum in the other.

"It's okay, we're police officers. Everyone just stay where you are, and we'll be finished in no time. Now everyone, take a seat." He instructed the patrons, who readily complied, as he returned his attention to the men behind the bar. "Now, if I were you." he addressed the man in his friends' clutches. "I would answer his questions. See, when he gets like this, there's no tellin' what he's capable of. He's already been suspended twice for unnecessary violence against potential witnesses, and I'd just hate to have to work without him for another month. You understand what I'm sayin'?"

On that note, Starsky jerked the man forward just to slam him back into the bar again, causing more glasses and bottles to crash to the ground, but getting his point across nevertheless.

"Joey Martins! Spill it!" Starsky practically spit in the mans face.

"Alright, he used to come in here a few times a week, but I haven't seen him in over a month." The large man caved quickly.

"Where can we find him?" Hutch asked as his partner kept his eyes locked on the pathetic man in his clutches.

"I don't know…" The tavern employee felt himself being pulled forward and thrown back for a third time. His back becoming tender from the reoccurring thumps against the counter.

"Where!" Starsky said sharply.

"Really, I don't know!" He pled. "He just stopped comin' 'round. He used to hang out with some chick named Shilo and a dude named Graves or Grains, somethin' like that."

Starsky looked over at Hutch who nodded at him, signaling him to let the terrified man go. Before he did that Starsky had one final warning. "If I find out you lied to us, or didn't tell us _everything, _I'll be back, without my partner." He threatened as he released the man with one final shove, causing the man to trip over his own feet, landing on his butt. Starsky raised his index finger at the man in warning, as he kicked the bartender's feet out of his way.

Hutch turned to the others in the bar, announcing to all. "As you've just witnessed here, my partner and I are looking for Joey Martins, or anyone with any association with him. Feel free to put the word out that Starsky and Hutch want to speak with anyone with information leading to Mr. Martins, or anybody that has information regarding the death of a young girl by the name of CeCe Davis."

Starsky joined Hutch as they prepared to exit the tavern. They kept a cautious eye around them making sure no one had the bright idea to jump them as they were leaving. Just as they reached the door, Hutch looked back, smiling and winking at the crowd. "You all have a nice day!" He said sarcastically as they headed for the car.

As they walked around the building Hutch asked, "Whatya think? Think anyone in there knows Martins?"

"If they do, I'm sure he'll get word we're lookin' for him…Did you see the look on that bartenders face?" Starsky chuckled, proud of his intimidation skills.

"Yeah, even _I_ thought you might deck him." Hutch joked.

"Don't think it didn't cross my mind." He smiled his crooked smile.

As they rounded the corner of the building, Hutch came to an abrupt halt. "Starsk." He put his hand up to his partner's chest, stopping him in his tracks.

Starsky looked in the direction of Hutch's stare, his car…they both reached for their weapons, Hutch turning in a complete circle, scanning their surroundings for anyone lurking in the shadows. Starsky kept his weapon out in front of him, but couldn't take his eyes off his destroyed vehicle.

"What the hell…Who…?" Starsky's heart jumped into his throat. His beloved Torino, the front windshield was smashed, all four tires slashed, both headlights broken, and spray painted along the entire length of the driver's side of the car were the words 'DIE YOU PIG!' in black paint.

"Well, I guess we got _someone's_ attention." Hutch said.

"My car!" Was all Starsky could say.

XXXX

Starsky and Hutch stood by as they watched the tow truck pull into the department garage with Starsky's car riding piggy back. Hutch put a supportive arm around his distraught partner.

"Hutch, my car." He raised one hand feebly, pointing at the striped tomato like a fallen soldier.

"I know Starsk, I know." He said comforting him the best he could. "We'll find whoever's responsible for this, I promise." He reassured his friend.

Captain Dobey walked up behind them accompanied by a uniformed officer. "Sorry 'bout your car, Starsky." He offered his condolences. "Officer Mendoza here, has volunteered to give you two a lift back to Hutch's so you can pick up his car."

"Hutch's car?" Starsky whined. "Ah, Cap', haven't I been through enough today?"

Hutch looked at his partner and wagged his head side to side. "Oh come on. It's not that bad." He said defensively.

"Now Starsky, it's only temporary. The department's gonna take care of repairing your car. It's just gonna take some time, that's all."

""Cap', _no one _touches that car," Starsky started as he pointed to his prize possession, "_No one _except Merle. You have to call Merle, he'll know what to do." He begged his superior officer.

"I'll call him. Don't worry, I'll call him, son."

As the two detectives got ready to depart with Officer Mendoza, Starsky looked back at his captain. "Make sure you call me when you hear anything."

Dobey waived him off smiling. _He acts like this car is a living, feeling being. _He thought as he shook his head. Sad part was, to Starsky this was no joke. The Torino was a part of his family and he cared about _her _deeply.

_Only the best mechanic would do. _Dobey returned to his office and called Merle.

To Be Continued


	4. Chapter 4

**Feedback: I rely on your feedback to keep me going. Thanks to all of you who read and review on a regular basis. I do appreciate it!**

**Disclaimer: I make no money from this. Starsky and Hutch do not belong to me, I just borrow them, and promise to return them in the same condition I found them in. My characters do belong to me, and I can use them as I see fit, **_**until they start fighting back.**_

**Authors Note: Sorry for the little trick last chapter about the critical injury, my husband thought it was hilarious. I also want to thank those of you who just choose to read this story. Thanks to all.**

**Chapter Four**

Starsky heard the horn honk. He quickly downed the last of the orange juice in his glass and rinsed it, placing it in the sink. He picked the last piece of bacon off his plate, popping in his mouth and licking the grease off his thumb. The honk repeated.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." He said for no one in particular to hear. He passed through the dining room and living room quickly, grabbing his jacket off the dowel that hung by the front door. _God, he hated being without his car. He felt so outta control._

As he descended the steps, he heard the pathetic honk again.

"I'm right here, dummy!" He shouted.

Hutch snickered. _He loved using his car, he felt so in control. _He thought to himself as his partner joined him. As Starsky sat in the passenger side, a broken spring in the seat attempted to familiarize itself with the curly haired detective hind end.

"Ow, dammit!" He tried to readjust himself in the seat, moving the metal object from his backside.

"Something wrong, Starsk?" Hutch played innocent.

"You know darn good and well what's wrong. I hate this car, an' it hates me!" He shot his partner a sideways glare. "So, what's on the docket for today?" He changed the subject.

"Huggy called. He wants us to meet him this morning. He's got someone he wants us to talk to."

"Yeah, who's that?" Starsky asked.

"Dunno, but it has something to do with Joey Martins. Any word on your car?" Hutch was a little afraid to bring up the sore subject.

"Yeah, Merle called me this morning. I guess it was touch an' go all night. The internal damage was more extensive than originally thought. They must've popped the hood and tore up her insides." Just saying it gave Starsky the shivers. "But looks like he'll be able to put everything back together. She'll be good as new in no time!" A smile showing on his face.

"I'm happy for you, Starsk." Hutch congratulated his partner as he pulled away from the curb. "I'm happy for both of you."

XXXX

When they arrived at the Pits, they were surprised to find the back door in the alley, locked. In all the years they had known Huggy Bear, they had never seen the alley door of his 'open all night' establishment, locked. The two men shrugged at each other in confusion. With the fist of his right hand, Starsky hit the heavy metal door with a fair amount of force. The noise it made on a door that solid, was minimal. Hutch looked to the ground and picked up a piece of wood, using it as a tool he struck the door three times, creating the sufficient amount of noise to receive an approving nod from Starsky, as he rubbed his sore fist.

They heard the lock disengage, as the door was pushed out towards them. Huggy peaked his head around the edge of the door, making sure it was the dynamic duo, then waived them in.

They passed through the doorway as Huggy shut and locked the door quickly behind them. Both detectives looked at their friend with curiosity.

"What's goin' on here?" Hutch asked him. Huggy pressed his finger to his lips, shhing the men.

"She's upstairs." He whispered.

"Who's upatairs?" Hutch inquired, whispering back although he wasn't sure why.

"Her name is Sandy, she works for Martins. Look, I promised her you guys wouldn't hassle her or take her in or nothin'. I told her she could trust you guys, that's the only reason why she agreed to talk to you two."

"She _can_ trust us, Hug." Starsky replied, almost insulted by the mere implication.

"_I _know that Starsky, but she don't. She's scared guys, and I mean _really _scared. Take it easy on her 'kay?" With that Huggy headed up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

Hutch looked over at Starsky. "Hey, you want some coffee?" He asked as he went behind the counter helping himself.

"Nah, thanks. I think I've reached my target heart rate for the day." Starsky grabbed a chair and swung it around in one hand, straddling it backwards.

"Suit yourself." He said as he poured his coffee and joined his partner at the small table next to the bar.

They heard the pair returning. Huggy held the young girls hand as he brought her down the flight of stairs and over to the table the two detectives had chosen to occupy. Both men rose from their seats as they approached.

"This is the men I told you about, Detective Hutchinson and Starsky." Huggy pointed to the respectively. "Hutch, Starsky, this is Sandy."

They could make out the remnants of the black eye, poorly hidden by her make-up. They were amazed at how young she looked, maybe 20 at the most. She was very petite with long dark hair and fair complexion. Big chocolate brown eyes met theirs as they all shook hands politely. Huggy pulled out her chair as the men waited for her to sit first, then joined her.

"I hear you guys want information on Joey Martins." She began the conversation, getting right to the point. "I told Huggy, I don't know how much help I can be." Her voice shaking slightly.

Starsky reached across the table reaching for her check that sported the bruise, causing her to pull back. "Who did that?"

"It's nothing. That's not why we're here." She responded. Starsky knew he had better drop it if he wanted this conversation to continue.

"What can you tell us 'bout Martins and his operation?" Hutch changed the subject.

"That depends."

"On what?" Starsky interjected.

"Whatever I say to you is strictly off the record. I don't want it used against me later." She was fidgeting with a paper napkin she got off the table. "It's for your information only. Deal?" She looked back and forth between the two.

Hutch looked at his partner. "Deal." He responded.

"How long have you _known _Martins?' Starsky started the questioning.

"I've worked…um…_known _Joey for about four years now."

"Four years? If ya' don't mind me askin', how old are you?" Starsky wasn't sure he really wanted to know the answer.

"I turned nineteen, two days ago."

"Well, happy birthday." Starsky said as he looked at Hutch, both of them realizing that would make her just fifteen when she started working for that creep.

"Sandy, did you know CeCe Davis?" Hutch asked as he watched the color drain from her face.

"Yeah, I knew her. She was a good friend of mine." She was now tearing the paper napkin she held in her hands, to shreds.

"Then you know she's dead." Hutch elaborated as she nodded in acknowledgment, lowering her head, turning her gaze to her lap and swallowing hard. "Why was she killed?"

"She told me she was gonna ask Joey to let her go, let her out of our 'family'. She was really tryin' to put her life together. I tried to talk her outta it, I was afraid he'd get mad. You don't wanna get Joey mad." Sandy took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to control her emotions. "She wouldn't listen, it meant a lot to her to make somethin' of herself. I really think she coulda done it."

"Do you know who killed her?" The blond continued as both detectives' stare was locked on the poor, frightened girl.

Without looking up, she nodded, bracing herself. She knew the questions were only going to get tougher. This was bringing back memories she wasn't sure she was ready for.

"Sandy? Did Joey Martins kill CeCe Davis?" Starsky took over at this point.

The rhythm of her breathing increased as she shook her head, no. "Not directly." Her voice quivering.

"Did he _have_ her killed?" The brunet asked gently.

She lifted her head to their level. One single tear rolled down her right cheek, but her vision was blurred by the accumulation of moisture in her eyes, waiting to be released. A second tear fell.

"Yes." She whispered.

"By who?" Starsky continued without hesitation.

"There were two guys, they work for Joey…Ones named Ricky something, an' I don't know the other ones name…They took turns…" She took in a slow shaky breath. "…beating her, they took turns." Her tears were flowing.

Huggy excused himself from the table and returned with a glass of water, which Sandy took in her trembling hands.

"Did you see them hurt her?" Hutch chimed in.

"No, but we could hear her screams, begging for us to help her, for someone to help her. But no one could do anything…" Starsky looked at Hutch shaking his head in disgust. Both men horrified at what this poor girl had been through. "When they were finished with her, after she was…after she was dead, they made us look at her. Look at what could happen to us if we didn't behave, or made him mad…I remember seeing her there, on the ground, bloody…I must've passed out, 'cause I woke up back in my room…Same thing with that girl a couple of nights ago." She squeezed her eyes shut tight as if she were trying to shut out the visions that were flooding her memory.

Finally, they thought, someone knew who Jane Doe was. Huggy sat quietly, watching the exchange.

"What was _her_ name?" Starsky said as he pulled his notepad and pen from his pocket.

"I dunno. She'd only been around a few months. She told us her name was 'Sugar', but most the girls don't give Joey their real names. Half the time they're either runnin' from something, the other half they just don't wanna be found."

"Which of these two categories are you in?" Hutch inquired, but she chose not to answer. Both detectives exchanged glances. Hutch looked back at Sandy. "You know, you _don't have _to go back. We can protect you."

"Protect me? Great! What about the other girls? He's got them held up in half a dozen different places. Some of them I don't even know where they are. If he finds out I talked to you, or if I don't go back, the others will pay…I care about them…My best friend's still there…I don't know what I'd do if something happens to her…So you see, I _do have_ to go back."

"Where can we find Martins?" Starsky asked, determined to free these women, _girls, _from this sadistic man.

She shrugged. "I dunno. We never really know when or where he's gonna show up. Pretty much everything goes through his men."

Hutch wiped his hand across his mouth and chin. Starsky was busy writing something in his notepad, when he finished, he tore out the page, folding it in half.

"If you think or hear of anything, here's our number." He said taking her wrist in his hand and placing the paper in her palm bending her fingers gently around it, then pointing at her. "Also, if you need _anything_, you can call us. Huggy here also knows how to reach us." He released his grip on her wrist.

She stared back at the brunet intently. "Please, just find him an' put him away. That's the only chance any of us have." She begged of them.

Starsky looked at his partner then back at the terrified girl. "We will." He promised.

She rose from the table, "I have to get back before they wonder what's taking me so long."

Hutch grabbed her forearm as she walked by him, "You gonna be okay?"

"Well, I guess that depends on you two. I hope you're as good as Huggy says you are." She said before continuing on her way with Huggy right behind her, escorting her to the door, leaving Starsky and Hutch alone momentarily.

"Whatya thinkin'?" Hutch asked his friend, seeing the frustration on his face.

Starsky wiped both hands down the entire length of his face. "I'm thinkin' we need to find this guy before one of his girls piss him off again."

"But how?"

"With a lotta luck." Starsky answered. "A lotta luck."

Huggy unlocked and opened the back door leading to the alley. He bent down and kissed Sandy on the cheek. "You be careful! Call me if you need anything. Those two clowns in there really want to help." He gestured back to the detectives with a flip of his head.

"Well, I hope they _can _help. I don't feel like my information is gonna make much of a difference though."

"Just keep your eyes an' ears open, you dig?"

"Yeah, thanks Huggy." She ran out the door and down the alleyway towards the street.

As she rounded the corner of the building she was stopped in her tracks by Ricky, Joey's right-hand man. She tried to scream but her mouth was quickly covered by his large hand and she was roughly thrown into a tan Cadillac parked at the curb directly in front of them. Tires squealing and smoke from the burning rubber rose from the rear of the car as it peeled away and into the busy street.

To Be Continued


	5. Chapter 5

**Feedback: I rely on your feedback to keep me going. Thanks to all of you who read and review on a regular basis. I do appreciate it!**

**Disclaimer: I make no money from this. Starsky and Hutch do not belong to me, I just borrow them, and promise to return them in the same condition I found them in. My characters do belong to me, and I can use them as I see fit, **_**until they start fighting back.**_

**Author's Note: Now, is where it starts to get fun. I usually post faster than this, but it's been a busy week. Sorry about that…**

**Chapter Five**

It was 4 am, a week had gone by since they had met with Sandy. Starsky was sleeping heavily when the ringing on the telephone led him back to consciousness. He fumbled for the receiver.

"Hello?" He grumbled.

"Starsky?" The voice replied.

"Huggy?" Starsky asked blinking rapidly, then trying to hold his eyes open. "This had better be good!"

"Listen, I need you to come over to my place."

"Why?" He cleared his throat.

"I can't tell you why, but it's important."

Starsky looked at his clock on the nightstand. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Please?" Was all Huggy needed to say for Starsky to realize it _really_ was important to his friend.

"Give me fifteen minutes." He hung up the phone. With in seconds, it rang again, he quickly retrieved the handset.

"I said I'll be there!" He snapped thinking it was Huggy again.

"Starsk?" Hutch's voice responded.

"Hutch? Whatta you want?"

"Dobey just called, we got another body."

"Jeez. You gotta be kidding me? Same M.O.?" Starsky questioned.

"The very same. Get this, they found her in the alley behind Huggy's place."

"What? Huggys?… Hutch, Huggy just called me. He wants me to meet him at his apartment."

"What for?" Hutch inquired.

"Wouldn't say, just that it was important. Ya' think this body's Sandy?"

"God, I hope not. Whatya wanna do?"

Starsky was now sitting on the side of his bed, rubbing his face. "Why don't you head down to the Pits. I'll swing by Huggy's, see what's up with him, an' meet up with you down there."

"Sounds good." Hutch said before hanging up the phone.

Starsky got dressed quickly and headed downstairs, thankful that he had just gotten his car back the previous day. Merle truly was a genius when it came to mechanics and auto body work. The car was as good as new.

The dark haired man made excellent time. Within fifteen minutes he was pulling up in front of Huggy's modest apartment. He could see the light on in the living room of his friend's place. He climbed the stairs and sharply knocked three times on the door.

"Open up Hug, it's me." He yelled through the door.

He waited patiently, but there was no answer. He knocked again…Nothing. Starsky turned the door knob, opening the door slightly.

"Huggy?" The brunet called out to his friend. Again, there was no answer. He felt a chill climb up his spine, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand at attention. With his left hand, he pulled the Beretta out of it's holster, pointing it straight up in the air and placing his back against the door jamb. With his right hand he slowly swung the door open wider.

"Huggy?" He called out again making sure his body was not exposed in the doorway. He grasped his weapon tightly in both hands, keeping it raised to his shoulder and pointed upwards. He looked up into the air, _wishing his partner were here._

He heard a rustling sound followed by, what sounded like, a gasp for air…

XXXX

Hutch pulled up to the entrance of the alley. He climbed out of his car, zipping up his jacket. The scene was all too familiar, Hutch was taken by a strong feeling of déjà vu. The yellow crime scene tape, the flash bulbs going off, the flurry of activity, even the tan coroner's van.

As he approached the body covered with the crisp white sheet, he tried to push the fear he was feeling into the back of his mind. Was this Sandy? Did Martins find out about her meeting with them?

Once again, Hutch found himself kneeling next to the deceased girl. With his right hand he pulled back the sheet. The body was _not _Sandy. She was around the same age, with short auburn hair. Her face housed multiple bruises. The blonde's attention was drawn to the shiny necklace she wore. He picked up the silver heart-shaped pendant, holding it between his thumb and forefinger, he read the inscription:

'_Friends 4ever, love, Sandy'_

He had the nauseating feeling that this was the girl Sandy had talked about, her best friend. But why did they kill her? Was it something she did, or was it something Sandy had done? He remembered Sandy saying that he would make the other girls pay for her actions. His hopes of ever seeing Sandy alive, were quickly fading.

Hutch could already hear the coroner's report; _eight ribs, both knee caps, fractured jaw…_This guy, _or these guys_, had to be stopped, and soon! He looked up into the night sky, _wishing his partner were here_. Hutch returned to his car and grabbed the radio, speaking clearly and slowly.

"Dispatch, this is Zebra 3."

"Go ahead Zebra 3."

"Patch me through to Detective Starsky's vehicle."

"10-4...Go ahead Hutch."

"Starsky, this is Hutch, do you read me?"

No response. He repeated his request with the same results. _He must still be at Huggy's. _Hutch thought to himself.

"Dispatch, Zebra 3 here." Hutch again beckoned Mildred.

"Go ahead Zebra 3."

Patch me through to 555-2374, over." Hutch requested, giving Mildred Huggy's number.

"10-4 Zebra 3, stand-by."

XXXX

Starsky could hear the phone in Huggy's apartment ringing, as he entered. He brought his weapon down in front of him, carefully aiming it in the direction he was headed. He checked to make sure no one was hiding behind the door before proceeding. He cautiously continued into his friends place.

"Huggy!" Starsky said in a rough whisper. He heard a moan coming from the direction of the kitchen. As the detective passed through the dining room, he saw a pair of feet on the kitchen floor.

"Huggy?" He saw his friend laid out on the cool linoleum, moving slightly. Another moan escaped his lips. Starsky quickly knelt by his friend's side. "Huggy, you okay?" He said lightly slapping his friends cheek. "What the hell happened to you?"

Huggy's head wagged from side to side as he began to come around, mumbling something unintelligible.

Starsk? Is that you man?" He finally said, his voice barley audible.

"It's me, Hug. What happened here?" The brunet asked as he helped his friend sit up, propping him against the kitchen cabinets. Huggy winced as he gingerly rubbed his hand across the back of his own head, assessing the damage.

"I'm not sure…Sandy was here, she was freaking out…" Returning his gun to it's holster, Starsky grabbed a kitchen towel off the wall, wetting it in the sink and handing it to his friend. "…she told me that they were gonna hurt her friend, Lisa…man, she was scared Starsk. Looked like they had some fun on her too…She wanted me to call you guys…"

"Where's she now?"

"I dunno. There was a knock at my door. I thought it was you, so I opened it…Three guys came bustin' in, that's the last thing I remember."

"You gonna be okay?"

"Are you kiddin'? With my hard head?" Huggy responded.

Both men heard a noise coming from the bedroom. Starsky pressed his finger against his lips, quieting his friend, and again pulling his weapon.

"Can you get up?" He whispered, lending his free arm for assistance.

Huggy got both of his feet underneath him and started to rise. With a directive hand from Starsky, he remained hunched over with his head low. "Go on, get outta here." Starsky instructed. "Get to my car, use the radio…tell them you have a Code 9...Get in touch with Hutch, let him know what's going on here. Whatever you do, stay down an' outta sight."

The curly haired detective covered the thin black man with both his body and his weapon, as he made his way out the front door. Once his friend was safely outside, he returned his attention back to the bedroom.

With his Beretta out in front of him, he slowly made his way to the closed door. Standing against the wall to the left of the room, he used his right hand to turn the knob, swinging the door open in one swift motion, and returning to his original position, his back flat up against the wall, gun aimed at the ceiling. If there was someone in the room, he was hoping to catch them somewhat by surprise.

Leading with his weapon in both hands, the brunet rotated around, taking a stance in the doorway, feet spread wide apart, ready for an attack. It was dark in the room, but with the light from the living room, he could barely make out the shadow of someone lying on the floor at the foot of Huggy's bed. He slowly approached the figure, taking it step by step, moving his head around the room, searching for demons in the dark.

Finally, he was on one knee next to the motionless form, he could tell by the petite size and long dark hair, the figure before him was female. Turning her over confirmed that it was Sandy. His heart leapt into his throat.

He felt her carotid artery in her neck, he was relieved to find a strong, even beating pulse. He could see the bruises on her face. Her left eye was swollen and discolored by the bruising. Sandy's right cheek also housed the same magenta shades, and her lip was split and fat with dried blood on the corner of her mouth.

As he attempted to evaluate her injuries, he heard a noise behind him, but before he could turn around to face his attacker, he felt a sharp pain to his temple as everything faded to black.

XXXX

"I'm on my way, Huggy." Hutch exclaimed as he threw the mike to the radio across the front seat of his car, jumping in, simultaneously starting his engine. Throwing the mars light on the roof of his vehicle, he sped away from the alleyway screeching his tires. He had already calculated that his ETA was approximately twenty minutes. The thought of all the possible things that could happen to his partner in twenty minutes, crossed his mind. He had to shake it away. He hoped there were other responding units that were closer to his friend than he was. _This was going to be the longest twenty minutes of his life._

XXXX

Joey Martins stood over his victims smiling wickedly. Ricky and another Neanderthal type man named Tommy, joined their boss, admiring their handiwork.

"Get them downstairs an' in the van." Joey ordered.

Ricky and Tommy picked the dark haired detective up with little effort. What they lacked in brains, they definitely compensated for, in strength.

Joey bent down grabbing Sandy roughly by the arm, pulling her limp body closer to his. "It's time to go home an' play, _bitch!" _He spat as he lifted her into his arms, following the other men through the living room and outside, hitting her head against the wall on the way.

Joey was like a cat, and poor Sandy the mouse. Just like the other women, he wouldn't kill her immediately, for the same reasons a cat would allow the mouse to live for awhile, so it has something to play with, to terrorize and brutalize.

Once downstairs, they approached a white paneled van. The side door was already open and Starsky was tossed in looking like a rag doll. Ricky and Tommy climbed in besides the detective, rolling him onto his stomach. Ricky picked up a roll of duct tape, while Tommy positioned both of Starsky's arms behind his back. Ricky wrapped the tape around the man's wrists and hands in a continuous never ending fashion, repeating this action on Starsky's ankles.

As soon as the detective was secure, Joey threw Sandy's frail and limp body in the van, causing her to land right on Starsky's mid section. She let out an involuntary groan. Ricky rapidly grabbed her relentlessly by the hair and shoved her over to the side of the van next to Starsky.

Joey climbed into the driver's seat as Tommy joined him, taking the passengers seat. With in seconds, the vehicle was peeling away from Huggy's apartment.

Starsky's car sat momentarily alone in the quiet night until Huggy's head popped up from the front seat where he was hiding. He helplessly watched the van pull away with both of his friends in it. _What did he get Starsky into? _He thought to himself.

He knew Hutch was on his way, and would never forgive himself for not making it in time. _This was gonna be the longest twenty minutes of his life…_

To Be Continued


	6. Chapter 6

**Feedback: Take a minute to review. It keeps us writing. We get as excited about the stories as you make us.**

**Disclaimer: I make no money from this. Starsky and Hutch do not belong to me, I just borrow them, and promise to return them in the same condition I found them in. My characters do belong to me, and I can use them as I see fit, **_**until they start fighting back.**_

**Author's Note: There will be some h/c in this chapter, but much more in the upcoming ones. I hope everyone continues to enjoy this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it…**

**Warning: There may be some graphic explanations of torture to follow. **

**Chapter 6**

They bumps in the road jarred him awake. The pain he felt shooting through his head, made him wish he was still out of it. He blinked his eyes several times as his surroundings swirled and came slowly into focus. He could see Sandy lying on the floor of the van next to him. Her eyes were open, but she didn't seem to be focused on anything, and she wasn't moving. This made him very uneasy.

"Hey?" He managed to whisper. She turned her stare to him. He swallowed hard. "You okay?" She didn't answer.

The van hit another dip in the road causing their heads to bounce on the steel floor. Starsky grimaced in pain, but Sandy didn't seem to be phased. Starsky could tell this vehicle was in serious need of some new shocks. He felt the ingredients of his dinner rising in his throat, burning as he fought to return them to his stomach, where they belonged. His hands and feet being bound together, made it impossible for him to attempt to get into a comfortable position. He brought his shoulder under him so he was lying on his side, facing Sandy.

"Sandy, answer me, are you okay?" He asked quietly.

She acknowledged his question with a subtle nod of her head, but no words were spoken.

"Don't do anything to make them mad." Her eyes were locked on his. "We're gonna be fine. 'Kay? Just stay with me." He pled with her.

One tear fell from her eye and across the bridge of her nose. He saw the fear in her eyes even though she refused show it. He felt a hand on his head, placed gently above his injury. It was her hand, she had reached over and was rubbing his temple carefully. He could tell his hair was matted with dried blood.

The look in her eyes seemed to turn from fear to sorrow, and concern. He almost hated this look more. The vehicle took a hard right turn, causing Starsky to roll back onto his stomach. He had no way of preventing it. Bringing up his knees, he rolled onto his side and then onto his back, looking at the roof of the paneled van he was in. The throbbing in his head consumed his thoughts for a moment. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to push it away.

"Good, you're awake! I'd hate for you to miss all the fun." He heard Ricky address him.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Starsky retorted in his usual defiant tone.

He felt the large knuckles of Ricky's fist slam into the side of his jaw, immediately tasting the blood pooling inside his mouth. He turned his head away from Sandy and spat the red contents from his mouth onto the floor of the van, pleasing Ricky with the sight. He could hear the sounds of approval coming from Tommy in the front seat, as he heard Sandy gasp.

"From here on out, anything you do or say, she pays for." Ricky threatened pointing to Sandy. "Got it?"

He reluctantly nodded his head. He knew he was going to have to bite his tongue pretty hard, to avoid causing Sandy any mishaps. Starsky felt that they may hurt her anyways, but he didn't want to be the cause of any of it. He had to figure out a way to get them out of this before any more harm came to the duo.

XXXX

Hutch pulled up in front of Huggy's place screeching to a halt. There were already several police cars on scene, he felt the lump in his throat swell. He quickly jumped out of his car and ran up the stairs to his friend's apartment, taking them three at a time. He rushed through the front door, finding Huggy sitting on his couch, being questioned by Officer Hamilton.

"I told you, I don't know who they were." Huggy was apparently irritated at having to repeat himself, he was pressing an ice pack to the back of his head trying to lessen the size of the lump he had received.

"Huggy? You okay?" Hutch addressed the frightened man on the couch.

Huggy immediately rose from the couch and took a few steps to meet the blond detective. "Hutch, they got Starsky…They took him an' Sandy…"

Hutch felt his heart join the lump in his throat. "Who got 'em, Huggy?" He asked.

"Martins an' his men." He answered.

"Huggy, start at the beginning, tell me what happened."

Huggy gave the blond detective a recap of the evenings events. Unfortunately, he could only give a description of the common colored paneled van and the direction it was heading. There was no license plate or identifying marks to provide extra help, and they had at least a ten minute head start. The officers on scene wasted no time in putting out an APB on the van.

"Hutch, I couldn't do anything, man. I'm sorry!" He apologized to Hutch, unnecessarily. Truth was, Hutch never, for one minute, thought any of this was Huggy's fault. He put a reassuring hand on the mans' shoulder, squeezing tightly.

"I think you should have the paramedics look at your head, buddy." Hutch advised him, but Huggy refused. He had been hurt worse than this and still avoided having doctor's check him out.

"Whatya gonna do, Hutch?" Huggy inquired.

"I'm gonna find my partner, that's what I'm gonna do." He stated with a clear sound of determination in his voice.

XXXX

He wasn't sure how long they'd been driving when the van finally came to a stop. During the trip, Starsky did his best to keep an eye on Sandy. She had hardly moved, with the exception of a couple of times that a bump or a sharp corner jostled her into an uncomfortable position, she remained stationary.

As the side door of the van opened, Sandy's eyes locked on Starsky's. The look of intense fear returning.

"We're gonna make it, stay with me, Sandy." Starsky reinforced his words of encouragement. He hoped she believed him. He felt the need to give her hope, sensing her resigning to the feeling of impending doom, and he thought she was giving up. He need her to fight, mentally, and if the time comes, physically as well.

"Ah, isn't that sweet!" Ricky sneered sarcastically, as he jumped out of the van and reached back, grabbing Starsky by the underarm and dragging him to the door. Tommy snatched the detective under the opposite arm and both men hauled him out of the van backwards. He kept his eyes locked on Sandy who was beginning to sit up, preparing herself for the transfer. He winked at her as they drug him away to a nearby tree, dropping him to the ground. He couldn't help but let out a gasp, as the air was temporarily knocked out of him.

From where he was laying he could see a house, several hundred yards away. It was two-story, white with blue trim and a large porch off the front door. He scanned the area and saw no other houses or people in sight. It looked like they were on their own.

Tommy reached down and grabbed the detective firmly by the collar and jerked him into a sitting position, placing his back against the tree for support. "You're not gonna want to miss this." He told Starsky.

Joey Martins had come around to the side of the vehicle, he stood on the side bumper and reached in, grabbing a fistful of Sandy's beautiful brown hair. He roughly pulled her out of the van as she inadvertently let out a squeal of pain. Her hands reflexively grabbed his wrist trying to get him to let up. He tossed her out of the van, releasing her hair, throwing her to the ground.

She laid still, afraid to move. "Get up!" Martins commanded.

Sandy slowly attempted to stand, pushing herself up onto her hands and knees. Just when she was up of the ground high enough, Martins planted a size 10 shoe to her side forcefully, causing her to be cast sideways, back on the ground.

"You bastard!" Starsky screamed, which earned him a punch to his temple that had previous been injured at Huggy's place. A bright flash of pain shot through Starsky's head, blinding him. When his vision cleared, he saw Sandy, on her side, lifting her head, vomiting, while gasping for air.

"Welcome home, honey!" Joey said as he bent down and grabbed her by her hair again and pulled her to her feet. She was still heaving, but her stomach contents had already been drained. He took her chin in the palm of his hand and squeezed tightly, tilting her head towards him, drawing her close. His mouth was inches from her face. She could feel the heat of his breath on her face as he spoke. "I don't understand why you had to go an' talk to this fine officer here, you knew that'd piss me off." He increased the pressure on her face. She let out a squeak. "You know what happens when I get pissed off!"

"Don't do it, Joey. She didn't tell us anything." Starsky tried unsuccessfully to convince the sick man.

"I don't recall anyone askin' you any questions, pig!" Ricky said as he bent down and landed one solid punch to Starsky's mid section, causing him to fall forward as the air he held in his lungs escaped. He coughed as he fought to breath again.

"Let's get them in the house, that way we can have all the fun we want an' we don't have to worry 'bout no one drivin' up." Martins instructed the two burly men.

Ricky and Tommy quickly grabbed their charge and began dragging him towards the house with Joey and Sandy right behind them.

As soon as they were through the front door, Starsky was tossed onto the living room floor. Tommy quickly headed to the dark brick fireplace and started to build a fire. Sandy was brought into the room and shoved onto the large, over stuffed couch.

Within minutes the fire in the fireplace was raging. Tommy took the log poker off the iron tool tree on the hearth and placed it in the hottest part of the fire, looking back at Sandy, smiling.

Starsky got a sick feeling in his gut as he watched Tommy twirl the iron poker around in the flames.

"Either one of you ever wonder what it feels like to be branded, like cattle?" Tommy asked just to add to the tension.

The dark haired detective looked at Tommy than over at Sandy, who had slid off the couch and was sitting on the floor near him, wide-eyed. He wanted to keep them from hurting her, but he was in no position to physically help her.

"Yeah, I was always a little curious 'bout that." He said, thinking that would bring Tommy's attention to him and off of Sandy.

The barbaric man turned away from the fireplace, holding the iron poker out in front of him and waving it back and forth. Starsky's eye grew large as he saw the red glow emitting from the tip of the rod. He knew this was going to hurt like crazy. Tommy took a step towards the two captives, grinning wildly.

Starsky closed his eyes as Tommy lowered the 'weapon', fully expecting to feel the searing pain as the poker touched his body. Instead, he heard Sandy scream and the sizzling of her flesh as he opened his eyes. The fair-haired brute was standing over Sandy with the tip of the instrument pressed firmly into Sandy's bare upper left arm.

The brunet detective tried to kick at the monster, but couldn't get much force with both legs trussed together, and the position he was in.

"You son of a bitch!" He cursed. Sandy was panting heavily, but other than the initial scream, she made little noise.

"You're tough." Tommy said, impressed with her self control. He pulled the poker away from her arm enjoying the damage it inflicted. There was no blood, the heat cauterizing her wound immediately. "But by the time we're done with you, you'll be begging us to kill you!"

She was biting her swollen bottom lip to keep from screaming out. Water dripped from her eyes, yet she wasn't crying. Starsky was looking at her intently, his stomach jumping to his throat in an all too familiar occurrence.

Tommy returned to the fireplace putting the poker back on the tree stand where it belonged, and joining Ricky and Joey in the kitchen.

Starsky rolled onto his side to face Sandy, she wouldn't look him. She kept staring at the dirty carpet.

"Sandy?" He said gently. No answer. "Sandy, look at me."

She slowly raised her eyes to meet his. "You alright?" She was holding her arm just below the burn, squeezing tightly and rocking back and forth, trying to get the stinging to subside.

"Yeah." She gasped, trying again to catch her breath.

"God, I'm sorry. I couldn't do anything." He apologized.

She just stared at him, furrowing her brow. _Why was he sorry? _She thought to herself. After all, it was _her_ fault _he_ was here in the first place. She shook her head, he made no sense to her.

To Be Continued


	7. Chapter 7

**Feedback: I want all I can get…(I think?)**

**Disclaimer: I make no money from this. Starsky and Hutch do not belong to me, I just borrow them, and promise to return them in the same condition I found them in. My characters do belong to me, and I can use them as I see fit, **_**until they start fighting back.**_

**Author's Note: Here is more requested h/c. More hurt than comfort at this point.**

**Warning: More torture will ensue, and I think it will get worse before it gets better. But most all of you like that, right? Also, there is some bad language in this chapter, but I feel it was appropriate at the moment it is used. **

**Chapter Seven**

"I want every available unit looking for that van!" Dobey shouted into the phone, than slammed the receiver down, hanging it up with such force, Hutch wasn't sure it would ever work again.

Sitting across from the Captain's desk were Hutch in one chair and Huggy in the other.

"Can you think of anything else Sandy may have said or done that may help?" Hutch asked Huggy.

"Nah man, I've been racking my brain, there's gotta be somthin' I'm missin'." Huggy replied.

Dobey looked up from the file on his desk. "Looks like we got a positive ID on that body from this morning. Her name was Lisa Raleigh. She was a 21 year old runaway from Long Beach, reported missing two years ago. Coroner's report reads like the other two, with some minor differences." He said as he closed and handed the folder to Hutch.

Hutch quickly glanced through the papers. "Looks like we found Sandy's friend." He looked over at Huggy, who was shaking his head in disgust.

"Now those creeps got Starsky and Sandy." Huggy pointed out the obvious. "Hutch? They're gonna kill them, aren't they?" The black man was unable to hide the pain in his voice, he felt responsible for putting Starsky in this situation. He had worked along side the detectives before, but never had he been, single handedly, responsible for causing either one of them this level of danger.

"Don't even think like that Hug. You know Starsky, he ain't gonna go down easy…We'll find them." He tried to reassure his friend.

Hutch and Huggy decided it would be best to hit the streets, putting the word out. Huggy could possibly call in a few favors of his own, from some of his shadier acquaintances. They said their good-byes and left Dobey's office.

XXXX

The three men returned from the kitchen. Ricky was carrying a sharp, gleaming butcher knife in his hands. By this time Starsky had managed to sit himself up, hands and feet still bound together, knees brought up towards his chest. He had propped himself slightly against Sandy for balance. As soon as she had seen the knife in Ricky's hand, he could feel her body start to shake.

He kept a close eye on the goon with the knife, praying silently that he wasn't going to go after Sandy. He was watching him so intently that he didn't even notice Tommy retrieving the iron poker from the fireplace.

"Nooooo!" Sandy screamed out, causing Starsky to turn his head in time to see Tommy holding the iron bar above his shoulder, swinging it downward, striking Starsky across the right ankle. He wasn't immediately sure if he had actually _heard _or _felt _the crack of his bone.

The brunet let out a loud, long grunt as he fell on his side onto the floor. He laid there moaning, deeply in his throat, the pain taking his breath away. He concentrated on his breathing, blowing deep puffs of air through his mouth, groaning with each exhale. He clenched his teeth together, cursing as he rode the cresting wave of pain. The detective could hear Sandy sobbing, begging them to stop.

"He ain't goin' nowhere anytime soon." Ricky stated as he bent down beside the writhing man, bringing the knife up in front of him.

"Don't hurt him." Sandy pled. "Please stop, don't hurt him."

Ricky used the knife to cut away the duct tape that bound Starsky's ankles together. He then moved upwards, cutting away the tape from around his wrists.

Starsky was still curled up in a fetal position, he brought his right hand down to his ankle. The sharp pain shooting through his entire body. His breathing started to regulate as the blinding pain ebbed its way back inside him.

"I'm okay, I'm okay." He tried to calm Sandy's fears.

It struck him odd that she cried out so forcefully for his pain, but held it in so courageously, when it came to her own.

He felt himself being grabbed by a fistful of hair and yanked back into a sitting position.

"Hurts like hell, don't it?" He found himself looking into Joey's face. Starsky swallowed hard, trying to swallow his pride, as well as his insides that found themselves lodged in his throat.

He knew that if he angered these men, they would, most likely, take it out on him _and _Sandy.

"Why are you doing this?" Starsky asked, not that it mattered.

Joey smiled, bringing his face closer to Starsky's. "When I'm finished with the two of you, people are gonna think twice 'bout stickin' their nose in my business!"

"Yeah, but you see, you got one problem. My partner's not gonna let you get away with this."

"Then I'm afraid your partner's gonna suffer the same fate as the two of you." He said grinning ear to ear. The look on his face, was that of pure joy.

Joey rose and moved around Starsky. He knelt next to Sandy, grabbing her chin and snapping her head towards him, forcing her to look at him. Starsky turned his head, watching helplessly.

She stared at him, her glare unwavering. "You know," he started, "we've been together for four long years. I've taken care of you, fed you, clothed you, and watched you grow up." Her face remained stoic. No fear, no anger. He sat next to her on the floor.

"When I heard of your disloyalty to me, I was hurt Sandy, deeply hurt…And I thought about it for a long time…I had to come up with the perfect way to make you feel my pain." Starsky looked at Tommy and Ricky, they were both smiling eagerly. He returned his attention back to Joey.

Joey shook his finger in Sandy's face. "Then it hit me…The only way to make you hurt, was to take away something you loved…Lisa's dead Sandy…She's dead because of you, what you did…My boys killed her…It took them several days, but she finally gave up."

Sandy still showed no emotion, at least not outwardly.

"You're a sick man, Martins." Starsky grimaced.

He should have predicted his comment was going to bring with it pain, but Starsky was not known for thinking before he spoke. Ricky approached the injured man, stomping his foot on Starsky's right ankle.

"Jesus Christ! You bastard!" Starsky spat, again experiencing the labored breathing, once again, finding himself riding the wave. Sandy attempted to turn to look at Starsky, but Joey snapped her head back towards him.

"For three days, Lisa called your name, begging for you to help her. I told her you were ignoring her, you were scared and didn't care about her anymore." Sandy swallowed hard, Joey could tell that he was finally getting to her. "I don't know if she died because my guys beat the shit outta her, or if it was because you broke her heart."

In pure reflex, and without thinking, Sandy reached out and slapped Joey across his cheek, with all her might. He jerked his head back towards her, his eyes gleaming as the corners of his mouth turned upward in a sadistic smile.

Tommy and Ricky immediately moved to Starsky's side, making sure he stayed put. Sandy's dark brown eyes locked on the detectives. She showed no fear, just sadness. Starsky closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. She was going to pay for that, and pay dearly…

XXXX

Hutch and Huggy had spent hours, combing the streets, spreading the word to every prostitute and every drug runner they could find. They wanted information. _They needed information._

It had been dark for several hours. They had completely lost all track of time. Both men decided that it was time to call it a night, they were going to be no good to Starsky or Sandy if they weren't at 100. They returned to The Pits where both of them had a hamburger with fries, and an ice cold beer.

"They're out there, Huggy." Hutch tried to both encourage, and console his friend at the same time. "Someone knows where they are, we just have to find that someone."

"Yeah? Well you sure make it sound easy, Hutch." Huggy said between bites. "But I guess if it were that easy, we'd of found them by now, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Listen, why don't you crash here tonight? I gotta couple of spare rooms upstairs, that way we could get an early start." He offered.

Hutch put down his hamburger and looked at his friend, wiping his hands on the napkin. "You know you don't have to this, Hug. This isn't your fault." Hutch was very good at reading people, _and _reading between the lines. He felt the anguish _and_ guilt his friend was feeling.

"Isn't it? If I hadn't called Starsky, then he'd still be with you. Here eating this burger, _with you_, where he belongs." Huggy said as he dropped his half eaten hamburger on his plate and pushed it away.

"Don't do this to yourself. Do you know how pissed off Starsk would be if he heard you talkin' like this? Come on man, you know how he gets when he's mad. I hate it when he's like that." Hutch joked.

"Well right now, I'd give anything to see that man's mad face of his turn redder. I'd be happy to entertain his temper at this point!"

"Me too, buddy. Me too!" Hutch replied. Neither one of them could help but be worried about the two.

They heard the phone ring, Huggy's bartender, Debbie, answered it quickly. After minimal conversation, she approached the two at the bar counter.

"Huggy, there's a call for you." She informed him.

The lanky man excused himself and went behind the bar to accept the phone call. He placed the receiver to his ear.

"Huggy, speak to me…Who is this?…" He looked at Hutch. "Where?…When?…We'll be there." He hung up the phone.

He returned to the counter beside Hutch who was finishing off the last of his beer. He leaned over towards him, whispering.

"We have a bite. Some chick, works for Martins, says she has some info on the cop an' girl Martins is holding. Wants us to meet her in an hour, downtown, Fifth an' Main."

Both men rose from the stools quickly, Hutch grabbed his jacket off the back of the seat, and both men headed outside to Hutch's car…

XXXX

Joey grabbed Sandy by the wrist, jerking her to her feet. He then placed his hand painfully around the back of her neck, squeezing hard, pulling her body closer to his.

"Let her go, Joey!" Starsky warned through clenched teeth, but his threat went unacknowledged.

Joey shifted his hold on her, grasping her shirt collar in his right fist. Raising his left hand over his right shoulder, he brought the back of his hand down forcefully across her left cheek. The impact of the strike throwing her into the brick of the fireplace. Sandy let out a completely involuntary whine. The large ring Joey wore had split her cheek open, right under her eye. She lifted her fingers to the cut on her face, touching the open wound, then examining her blood soaked finger tips.

Starsky attempted to rise to his knees, but was quickly pushed back to the ground.

Joey again approached Sandy, placing his hand around her throat, increasing the pressure with every passing second. She began gasping for air.

"Stop it!" Starsky yelled out reactively, not intentionally.

Joey continued to tighten his grip around her throat, listening to her struggle for air, until the fear of death showed in her eyes. Only then, did he release her and throw her to the ground, coughing and fighting to breathe. As he neared her again, Starsky could not hold back any longer. This time Ricky and Tommy could not react fast enough as Starsky raised to his knees and lunged forward at Joey, spitting and cursing.

"You're a fucking coward!" He shouted as he made contact with Joey's ankles, taking him to the ground in front of him. Joey grunted as the wind was knocked out of him when he fell on top of Sandy.

Starsky couldn't feel any pain in his ankle, perhaps it was the adrenalin or perhaps it was shear determination. Starsky tried to pull Joey closer to him. Ricky and Tommy were on him in seconds.

They ripped the brunet off of their boss, who was yelling and spitting his own venom. Starsky rolled on his back to see Ricky with his hand raised high. He barely caught the shine of the brass knuckles he wore on his right hand, before they came crashing into the side of his head. Starsky thought he heard Sandy scream as he succumbed to the quiet and darkness that was closing in on him.

To Be Continued


	8. Chapter 8

**Feedback: I want all I can get…(I think?)**

**Disclaimer: I make no money from this. Starsky and Hutch do not belong to me, I just borrow them, and promise to return them in the same condition I found them in. My characters do belong to me, and I can use them as I see fit, **_**until they start fighting back.**_

**Author's Note: Here is more requested h/c. More **_**comfort**_** than **_**hurt**_** in this chapter.**

**I really do appreciate everyone's kind words. Thanks for reading and reviewing. You all know who you are…**

**Chapter Eight**

Hutch pulled his LTD up to the corner of Fifth and Main Street. He and Huggy were a few minutes early. They decided to sit and wait.

"Who are we waiting for?" Hutch asked Huggy.

"Her name is Suzie. I don't recall ever makin' her acquaintance, but she says she knows who we are." Huggy's tone was somewhat up lifted now that they had a lead on Starsky.

"So we're just supposed to sit here and wait for her to contact us?"

"That's the plan."

"Well I don't like it." Hutch snapped.

"Do you complain this much 'round Starsky?" Huggy shot his friend a sideways glance. "Man, no wonder why he's always so moody."

Hutch smiled as he looked out the window, watching the people passing by.

About ten minutes had gone by when an older woman approached Huggy at the passenger window of Hutch's car, startling the black man.

"You two lookin' for Suzie?" She slurred, reeking of booze. Her hair was salt and pepper color. She wore a knit cap and matching brown scarf.

"Yeah, that's right." Huggy answered. "What's it to ya'?"

"She gave me a message for you." Alcohol was not the only reason her words were slurred, she also didn't have any teeth.

"What's the message?" Hutch asked, ducking his head lower so he could see out Huggy's window.

"It'll cost ya'." She spat as she spoke.

"Of course it will." Hutch responded, looking at his black friend as he reached deep in his pocket pulling out a handful of bills. He took out a ten and handed to Huggy, who passed it along. The woman quickly took her fee and shoved into her bra, smiling back at them.

"She wants you to meet her down that alley, back there ." She said pointing behind their car. "It ain't safe out here, in the open."

Hutch looked over at Huggy, then back up to the stranger at the window. "Did she say anything else?"

"Not that I can remember." The woman answered.

"That's comforting." Huggy said sarcastically.

Hutch smiled as he started the car, pulling forward and making a U-turn, heading back to the alley. He pulled into the narrow pathway, being careful not to hit the mounds of garbage and wooden palates on either side of him. He brought the car to a stop about halfway down the dead ended path.

Turning off the engine, he turned to Huggy. "I don't like this."

"I feel ya'"

No sooner had the words left his mouth, than the sound of gunfire pierced through the air. Hutch instinctively reached over and pulled Huggy down on the front seat, covering his friend. Glass sprayed both occupants as the front window of Hutch's car was shot out.

"Stay down!" Hutch shouted as he pulled his Magnum from it's holster. He restarted the car, and slammed it into reverse, hitting the accelerator. The car lurched backwards, then with the sound of crunching metal and broken glass, came to an abrupt halt.

Lifting himself up so he could see, Hutch looked out the back window. He had not seen the large utility vehicle that pulled in behind him, trapping them in the alley. Picking up the radio, he called for help.

"This is Zebra 3, Code 9, we're 11-99. Request assistance, alley at Fifth and Main, repeat need assistance!" He rattled off, throwing back down the hand set.

"10-4 Zebra 3." Mildred responded.

Hutch opened the driver's side door. Once the gunfire subsided, he slowly slid out of the car. Looking back at Huggy, he waived him to stay put.

"Well, I wasn't exactly plannin' on joinin' you. Contrary to popular belief, not all black men can run fast!" He retorted.

Hutch stayed low as Huggy watched him crawl away from the car. He did exactly what Hutch had instructed him to do, he stayed put and stayed down.

XXXX

Starsky laid there, blinking slowly. The only thing he was able to concentrate on, was how much his head hurt. It hurt to blink, it hurt to think, it even hurt to breathe. He wasn't sure exactly where he was, or how long he'd been there. All he did know was he was no longer in the living room. The room he was in now, was dark and musty. He could see shadows as his eyes started to adjust. He tried to sit up, but the jack hammer in his head forced him to stay put for the moment. He lifted his hand to his head, breathing deeply, trying to quiet the pounding to a tolerable level.

It took a few minutes for the curly haired detective to remember what had happened. In the darkness, he heard a moan. Turning his head in the direction the moan had come from, he strained his ears and heard another softer moan.

Fighting the pain and the nausea he was feeling, Starsky propped himself up on his side with his elbow underneath him. He squeezed his eyes shut tight to keep them from falling out of their sockets and onto the ground.

Rubbing the side of his head and squinting his eyes, he could barely make out the form of someone, moving slightly, several feet away. A third moan coming from that direction.

"Sandy?" He called to her quietly, dragging himself along the ground, closer to her limp form. "Is that you, Sandy?" He placed his hand on the person on the floor in front of him, he felt her move.

"Hey, you okay?" He bent down closer to her, she was still hidden in the shadows. Starsky could hear her breathing rapidly.

"I'm still…I'm alive…" She gasped. It was obviously very difficult for her to talk. She held her breath for a brief moment, then coughed lightly as she exhaled, groaning with the air she released.

He looked around the room. Against the far wall, he saw light shining through a small opening of a heavily draped window. Crawling on his hands and knees, he made his way over to the window. Pulling hard on the heavy curtain, he yanked it down, rod and all. Looking briefly out the window, he noted two things; 1). It was daylight outside. The sunlight hurting his head so badly, he had to close his eyes for a moment. 2). The window was nailed shut and there were security bars placed on the outside. He figured they were there more to keep people in, than out.

He turned to crawl back to Sandy, keeping all his weight off his swollen, painful ankle. He took the drapes with him to use as bedding to make Sandy more comfortable on the floor. As he approached the tiny figure huddled against the wall with her back to him, he spoke softly.

"Are you hurt?" She didn't answer. "What'd they do to you, honey?" He placed his hand on the small of her back, feeling her tense up. "It's okay, let me take a look." He tried to encourage her to roll over so he could see her.

"Please, don't." She begged.

"What's wrong?"

"It hurts." Her voice cracked.

"What hurts you?" He spoke so gently.

Sandy took a deep breath and rolled towards Starsky. As she turned onto her back, she let out a loud grunt. "Dammit!" She exclaimed, in pain.

"Shit!" Escaped his lips before he could stop it. He was startled by her appearance her left eye was black and purple, swollen almost completely shut. The cut below her eye had stopped bleeding, but there was dried blood over her face and in her hair. The sickening feeling Starsky was fighting earlier, returned with a vengeance.

"That bad, huh?" She said trying to refrain from coughing. He saw she was missing one of her front teeth.

"You're gonna be fine." He said optimistically. His eyes darted back and forth over the entire length of her body, not sure what to do first. He could tell she was having trouble breathing, she would take several quick pants, then a slow shallow one. The color was drained from her face. She looked at him, he could see both the pain and the fear in her eyes.

"Does it hurt to breathe?" He asked with deep concern.

She nodded her head up and down.

"Mind if I take a look?" He asked lifting up the bottom of her shirt slightly.

"Go ahead." She answered in almost a whisper.

He lifted her shirt and looked at both sides of her abdomen. Starsky lowered the shirt quickly, letting out a sigh of concern and disgust.

"Oh boy." He muttered scanning the room. Both sides of her rib cage were severely discolored, indicating she had some broken ribs. How many, he wasn't sure, but he guessed eight.

"I need you to sit up, it'll hurt like hell, but it'll be easier for you to breathe." He was glad that his first aid training was coming back to him.

"I'll try." She groaned, attempting to push herself up. "Oh God, it hurts." She gasped.

"I know it does." Starsky tried to help her, mostly providing support, as she made the painful transfer to reposition herself.

Starsky winced when she did, he held his breath when she held hers. Once she was in the upright position, he helped her turn so she could lean her back against the wall. She let out several small whimpers, but Starsky couldn't help but be impressed with how tough she was.

"Atta girl." He praised her. Grabbing the drapery, he began tearing them into strips. She tilted her head up, staring at the ceiling, breathing in rapid, shallow successions. "Hang in there, sweetheart." He said as he ripped the curtains apart.

Using some of the strips of cloth, he did his best to wrap her ribs, binding them tightly, to alleviate some of the pain.

"Is that any better?" He asked when he was done, proud of his first aid skills.

"Yeah…Now it only hurts when I breathe." She quipped as she grabbed her side, than managed a faint smile. "Thanks…Detective Hutchinson, right?"

"No, that's my partner, I'm Dave Starsky." He returned the smile, thinking how much he wished Hutch was here to play the _'I'm Starsky, he's Hutch' _game with him.

"Well, thanks, Dave Starsky." She moaned as she tried to shift her position against the wall. Starsky managed to scoot himself against the wall next to her.

"Don't mention it."

They heard the bedroom door unlock and the knob turn…

XXXX

Huggy heard the sirens in the distance. He hoped they were closer than they sounded. The gun fire had ceased some time ago, but he hadn't seen hide nor hair of Hutch. He found himself praying that Hutch was alright and unharmed. First Sandy, then Starsky, now Hutch? He didn't know what he'd do if something had happened to the Blond Blintz. It was painfully obvious this was another set-up, and he, once again, led the other half of the duo, right into it.

To Be Continued


	9. Chapter 9

**Feedback: Isn't that why we're all here? Thanks to all that have continued to read and review.**

**Disclaimer: I make no money from this. Starsky and Hutch do not belong to me, I just borrow them, and promise to return them in the same condition I found them in. My characters do belong to me, and I can use them as I see fit, **_**until they start fighting back.**_

**Author's Note: I really wasn't sure what direction I was going to take in this chapter. To have Hutch captured or not, that was the question. I hope everyone is happy with my decision…**

**Chapter Nine**

The door to the room opened and Joey entered, carrying a gun in his right hand. It was Starsky's gun, his Berretta. Starsky felt his face flush with anger. Just thinking about what Sandy had gone through, made him sick. He knew he couldn't allow that to happen again.

"How ya' feelin' sweetie?" He smirked at Sandy who just stared at the deranged man.

She was still having a little trouble breathing, but it was a lot better since Starsky had wrapped her ribs.

"Yeah, you're a real big man, ain't ya' Joey?" Starsky asked Martins who furrowed his brow at the detective. "Beating up women. You an' you two goons out there. Why not try pickin' on someone your own size, huh? You chicken?"

"Don't do this." Sandy pled, knowing that Starsky was trying to piss Joey off so he'd take his aggressions out on him, instead of her.

Joey took the gun and pressed it hard against the side of Starsky's skull.

"Joey, don't!" Sandy shouted.

He held the weapon there, as if he was fighting with himself on whether or not to pull the trigger, his hand shaking.

"Now that would hardly be your style, Joey." Starsky said hoping he wasn't pushing him too far. He wanted, _no he needed, _to throw him off balance. He closed his eyes and continued. "You're not the type to just blow someone's brains out…Nah, you like to torture them first, ain't that right?"

"Shut up!" Martins ordered Starsky, pursing his lips together and pressing the barrel of his gun harder into the side of the detectives head.

"Dave, please?" Sandy begged as she watched wide-eyed.

"Stop it, Joey!" Tommy's voice came from the doorway.

Joey looked at Tommy, hesitated for a moment, than lowered the gun to his side and turned to walk away. Before leaving Starsky's side, he placed the gun in his left hand, drew his right fist back, and swung forcefully, striking him across the left cheek. Starsky's head snapped away, then quickly returned to look Joey in the cold dark eyes.

"Nooo!" Sandy fried out. "Please Joey, I'm sorry. I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me."

Joey looked at Sandy. "You shoulda thought of that before you talked to the cops!"

He turned back around, Tommy joining him at his side, and shoved Starsky's shoulder, pushing him to the ground. Martins pulled his leg back and literally 'punted' Starsky in the mid section.

The detective heaved as the air was forced out of him. He was left on the ground, coughing and gasping for a breath.

Joey than moved to Sandy, kneeling at her side. He placed his hand on her side, roughly squeezing her fractured ribs. He noted the make shift bandages Starsky had dressed her with.

"Oh, isn't that special?" He said sarcastically, squeezing tighter. The pain blinded her. Her mouth opened wide as she writhed in pain, feeling the broken bones grind against each other as they shifted. It felt like someone stabbed her with a hot knife and was turning it in circles. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't scream, she couldn't see.

"Let her go! Don't do this." Starsky directed to deaf ears.

Joey looked at him, then back at the petite brunette. "I've only begun with you, bitch! CeCe got off easy compared to what I'm gonna do to you!" He said giving her ribs one final squeeze, his face only inches from hers.

He rose to his feet, satisfied with the amount of damage he had inflicted. Joey, along with Tommy, left the room, shutting and locking the door behind them.

Starsky crawled back to Sandy's side, still coughing and trying to regulate his breathing. She had her right arm draped around her abdomen.

"Oh God. Are you okay?" He gasped as he sat against the wall next to her and put his arm supportively around her shoulder.

She still couldn't speak, she simply nodded.

XXXX

"_You two, over there…Smith, Green. Check out the building on the right…I want the rest of you in this alley" _An anonyms voice shouted out.

Huggy could hear the voices, but saw no one. He was still lying on the front seat, afraid to move. Hutch had told him to stay down, and by God, he was going to do just that. He didn't want to let him down, not again.

Two uniformed officers appeared at the driver's door of the vehicle.

"Sir, are you okay? Do you need an ambulance?" One of the men asked Huggy, who just looked up at them, wondering if Hutch would get mad if he got up now?

He slowly pushed himself up until he was in a sitting position. "Nah man, I'm fine." He answered. "Where's Hutch?"

"Hutch?" The officer asked.

"Detective Hutchinson? Tall, lanky blond man, Nordic type? Have you seen him?" Huggy quipped, irritated with the whole situation.

"No sir, I haven't seen him." The officer responded.

Huggy couldn't hide the disappointment in his face, as he drug himself out of the car, brushing the glass off of him along the way. The two officers helped the man out of the vehicle and down the alley way.

An unmarked vehicle with a familiar Mars light, mounted on the dashboard, pulled up. Huggy immediately recognized the stout Captain Dobey as he exited the car. Huggy prepared himself to answer the Captain's question.

"Cap'n Dobey, am I glad to see you." Huggy walked over to greet the man.

"What happened, Huggy? Start at the beginning." Dobey instructed him, putting a supportive hand on his shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Huggy took a deep breath and related to the Captain what had gone down, including the phone call from 'Suzie', to the mysterious old woman on the corner.

Dobey took his notes and passed them on to a young uniformed officer. "I want an APB put out on that old woman, and Detective Hutchinson." He directed the rookie before the young man scurried away. Looking back at Huggy, Dobey continued. "Don't worry son, he's gonna be fine…They _both_ are…make that all three of them." He said trying his best to reassure the worried entrepreneur, but failing miserably.

Captain Dobey arranged for an officer to give a distraught Huggy, a lift back to The Pits, while they finished their investigation, scouring the alley and Hutch's car, for possible evidence or clues.

Reluctantly, Huggy went with the man, really wanting to stay put and help find his friends. He couldn't help but think about how he could have stopped this from happening to them.

"What are you two standing around for!" Dobey barked at two young cops standing by their cruiser. "All of you, back to work! We've got a missing officer, an' I want him found before any of you go off duty! I want every nook and cranny of this alley gone over twice! Every building in the area searched! NOW MOVE!!" The veins in his neck and temples pulsed with every word. No one could every accuse Dobey of not caring about his men…

XXXX

He was not exactly sure when it happened or how long he'd been asleep, but when he came to, Sandy was leaning against him, also enjoying a moment of slumber. He listened carefully to her breathing, making sure she wasn't having any type of respiratory distress. Starsky was relieved to hear her taking fairly even and calm breaths, at least for the time being.

Starsky was surprised by the fact that his ankle only hurt minimally. Trying not to disturb Sandy, he reached down and pulled up his pant leg. Unfortunately, the relief he felt was short lived as he saw the swelling and discoloration that was present. The absence of pain that he felt, wasn't because the ankle was improving, instead it indicated that it was getting worse. The swelling was causing most of the ankle to turn numb, a possible sign of nerve damage. He rolled his eyes and leaned his head against the wall behind him.

"T'rrific." He whispered.

Sandy moaned and began to stir, Starsky listened as she let out a soft whimper.

"Shhhh. It's okay, I'm here." He tried to keep her calm as she awoke.

She opened her eyes slowly, reluctantly allowing herself to return to reality. She remained where she was, leaning against the curly haired detective, until she was fully awake. Holding her breath, she pushed her hand against Starsky's chest and straightened herself out so she was sitting back up against the wall.

"You hangin' in there, schweetheart?" He asked, doing his best Bogey imitation, raising his eyebrows at her and giving her his crooked smile.

"Yeah." She replied. They both gave into a momentary silence. "…They're gonna kill us, you know?"

He turned to face her and she stared into his midnight blue eyes. "Well, they're gonna try." He nodded his head. He never was one to lie about a situation just to make someone feel better. Everyone deserved the truth, and with him, that's what they got.

"They're not gonna try, they're _gonna do! _They killed CeCe, Sugar, and…and…Dave, they killed Lisa." It finally hit her, and it hit her hard. Lisa was gone.

"I know." He stated.

"She's gone. She was all I had." Her vision became blurred by the well of tears building in her eyes, waiting for the flood gates to open.

"I know."

"It's my fault, they killed her 'cause of me."

"No, it's not your fault." He intensified his stare at her, furrowing his brow.

"Yes, it is! If I had kept my mouth shut, Lisa would still be alive, and _you_ wouldn't be here either!" The gates opened and the tears now fell freely, the salt in them stinging the cut under her left eye, her breathing increased.

"Dammit, stop Sandy!" Starsky grabbed her firmly by both arms, being careful not to hurt her, just to get her attention. "What those psychos did to Lisa and the other girls, is not your fault. You can't blame yourself. Do you hear me?"

She nodded in agreement, but he had the feeling, she didn't completely agree.

Their conversation was cut short, they were interrupted by the sound of voices, loud voices, coming from the living room. Starsky strained to hear what was going on. He could only make out words here and there. Nothing that he could put together.

_Do with him?_

_Pig_

_Black one_

_Kill him, like the rest_

Were just some of the things Starsky _was_ able to make out. He figured they were talking about him and Sandy. Then he heard the yelling get louder, three, no four voices, maybe five.

"_What the hell, have you done with my partner?" _He recognized this faceless voice as it shouted from the other room.

"Huuutch!" Starsky shouted through the locked door.

To Be Continued


	10. Chapter 10

**Feedback: Pretty please, with a cherry on top? **

**Disclaimer: I make no money from this. Starsky and Hutch do not belong to me, I just borrow them, and promise to return them in the same condition I found them in. My characters do belong to me, and I can use them as I see fit, **_**until they start fighting back.**_

**Author's Note: I really want to thank everyone, but especially Eli, Brook, and, of course, Jan. You guys are a blast! Thanks for letting me bounce things off of you… You all have been a tremendous help. When I get stuck, one of you **_**unsticks**_** me…**

**Warning: Oh my, more stuff we all like. H/H not much C in this one. This one and the next chapter may be a little darker than I'm used to writing. I hope I succeed. Please let me know…**

**Chapter Ten**

Starsky got himself up off the floor and moved to the door, hopping on his good foot. He stood facing it, pounding on it with all his might.

"Hutch!" He screamed. "Don't you bastards hurt him." He slapped the door with the palm of his hand in frustration, placing his forehead against it.

"Now do you believe me?" Sandy asked looking at the defeated man.

"Believe you?" He questioned.

"That they're gonna kill us?"

"Yeah? Well that's going to be a lot tougher, now that my partners here." He said optimistically.

"They're gonna kill him, too." She said with the sound of resolve in her voice.

Starsky heard footsteps approaching the door. As the door opened, Starsky moved back. Ricky and Tommy entered, both carrying guns. Tommy still had Starsky's Berretta, but now Ricky had Hutch's Magnum.

"Looks like we have company." Ricky smirked as he neared Starsky, shoving him to the ground. Tommy moved to Sandy's side.

"What's going on? What have you done to my partner?" Starsky asked, knowing that he probably wasn't going to get an answer.

"Turn over." Ricky ordered the dark haired detective, kneeling at his side. Using Hutch's handcuffs he secured Starsky's wrists behind his back.

"It's game time!" Tommy spat as he grabbed Sandy's arm and drug her to her feet.

"Hey, take it easy on her." Starsky pled. "She's hurt pretty bad, and unless you want to lose her prematurely, than I'd ease up a bit."

Tommy just looked dismissively at him. Ricky bent down and jerked the detective to a standing position. Starsky tried to be careful not to put any excessive weight on his swollen ankle. Hobbling, he was led to the door and down the hallway, following Sandy and Tommy.

They were all led into the living room where there were three chairs in the middle of the room.

"Hutch!" Starsky cried out when he saw his partner, blindfolded and tied to the chair on the left. "Did they hurt you?"

"Starsk. I'm all right. You okay?" Hutch lifted his chin moving his head in the direction that his friend's voice came from.

"Both of you shut up!" Joey said as he stood next to Hutch.

Ricky shoved Starsky into the center of the room, causing him to trip, landing on his injured ankle. Pursing his lips, he looked back and shot Ricky a look of pure disdain.

Tommy and Ricky took Starsky, one on either side, and led him to the chair on the right. Placing him roughly in the seat, they used a thick rope to secure him by the ankles and the hand cuffs to the chair.

"What's happening?" Hutch mumbled.

"Looks like we've been invited to a party, Hutch, and we're the guests of honor." Starsky said defiantly.

Tommy was standing in front of him, while Ricky pulled Starsky's head back by his hair. The brunet clenched his teeth and prepared for the strike. Tommy raised his left fist high in the air.

"Please, no!" Sandy screamed, but it was too late. Tommy's fist was already connecting with Starsky's jaw.

"What happened?" Hutch muttered.

"Next time Joey tells you to shut up, I suggest you listen." Tommy warned the detective, who just turned his head and spit at his feet, ridding himself of the blood in his mouth.

Sandy was placed in the middle chair. She let out a soft whimper as her arms were pulled behind her and tied together. She was only minimally restrained, they knew that in her condition, she wouldn't be any trouble. She wore a light blue top, that now held several small blood stains, along with her white knickers that flared at the knees. She wasn't sure where she had lost her sandals, but nonetheless, they were gone.

Ricky approached Hutch and removed his blindfold. He blinked several times to allow his eyes to adjust. Things quickly came into focus. He first scanned his surroundings, counting the bad guy to good guy ratio, already mapping possible escape routes, the cop in him taking over. He than looked over at his partner, raising his eyebrows in acknowledgment when their eyes met, Starsky doing the same. The blond quickly noted his partners fat lip, and the trickle of fresh blood dripping from the right corner of his mouth. With the exception of a couple of other minor marks, and a matted patch of hair, his friend looked to be okay. Hutch was thankful for that. He had no idea what Starsky's head had gone through. Starsky was thankful for that.

Hutch than turned his attention to Sandy. When he saw her face, his stomach jumped to his throat. A gasp of air escaped his lips. He looked at Starsky, seeing the pain and guilt in his partners eyes, he quickly looked back at Sandy. Her eyes directed out in front of her, staring at something only she could see.

Joey was approaching Sandy. He was carrying a thin wire cable, wrapping it around the palms of both hands. Starsky lowered his head, fearing what may be coming. Tommy and Ricky stood on either side of the three chairs.

"What's that for?" Hutch asked, his eyes opened wide. They closed tightly when Joey bent the cable in half, placing it in his right hand, and brought it down across Hutch's upper leg. Even through his jeans, he felt the searing pain and the welt that formed almost instantaneously.

"I'm sorry." Sandy barely whispered, but Hutch heard her, and unfortunately, so did Joey.

Martins quickly recoiled the wire cable and released it against Sandy's leg just as quickly, catching her across the top of the upper left leg. She whimpered involuntarily.

"Stop it!" Hutch demanded, which earned him another strike across his chest. He refused to cry out, letting the air in and out of his lungs at an alarming pace.

"Don't do this Martins!" Starsky yelled out, pulling against his restraints, rocking the chair back and forth.

Joey snapped the cable across Sandy's other leg, staring directly into Starsky's eyes the whole time, not even blinking. Starsky looked over in shock, at Sandy, her bottom lip was quivering, but she made no noise this time. He could see the blood begin to seep through her white pants.

"Jesus, she's just a kid." Starsky spat.

Martins moved so that he now stood between Sandy and Starsky. Hutch's eyes met with his partners just as the wire cut through the air again, striking the brunet detective across the upper left arm.

"_SHIT_!" He exclaimed, unable to bite his tongue, as usual.

"I'm bored with this." Martins informed the room. "Let's play a game!"

Both Tommy and Ricky looked at each other and smiled, obviously knowing what was going to come next.

"Let me explain the rules of the game." Joey started. "Each of you will be given specific instructions. When you fail to follow them, one of the other two will pay for it!" He explained.

Starsky and Hutch exchanged worried glances.

"The fun part is, that the one who fails to perform their task, gets to pick who gets punished. If they refuse to choose, than they both get a far more severe punishment… Now, who wants to go first?"

Starsky and Hutch looked at each other, knowing that they could not allow them to hurt Sandy any further. They would have to take each others' punishments. A slight tip of their heads confirmed they both understood what they _had _to do. Sandy kept her gaze straight ahead, not wavering.

"What, no takers?" Ricky asked.

"Well then, I guess I get to choose." Joey stated, pacing back and forth in front of the trio like a drill sergeant addressing his troops. He stopped in front of Starsky. "You're first!"

Ricky moved around and released Starsky's left wrist from the cuffs, reattaching the empty ring of the cuff to the leg of his chair. He then his arm was raised out to his side at shoulder height, palm up.

"When this arm drops below your shoulder, one of them will pay." Joey instructed.

Starsky stared straight ahead, concentrating on the task he'd been given. They did this in the Army, it was an exercise called _muscle memory. _At this moment, he felt as if he could hold up his arm forever, if necessary.

That's when Tommy approached him carrying a set of dumbbells. Fifteen pound weights were placed in the palm of his hand. He instantly felt the strain on his shoulder. He knew it wouldn't be long before his arm gave out completely. The sweat began to glisten across his upper lip, his jaw clenched. Seconds felt like minutes, minutes felt like hours. His breathing increasing.

Hutch watched his friend struggle, he knew he was doing everything humanely possible to avoid making Hutch face punishment, but it was out of his control. It tore at his soul to see his friend try so hard to save him, but he couldn't hold up forever. Hutch forgave his friend before there was anything to forgive.

Starsky's arm began to tremble, than it shook violently. The beads of perspiration, now dripping from his face. With a loud groan and exhale, it happened…his arm fell…dropping the weights to the ground with a cold _'clank'. _The brunet's head had lowered towards the ground, completely deflated. Quickly, Tommy secured his arm back to the chair.

"Not bad, I'm impressed. But unfortunately, you failed. Just five more minutes, and I woulda let you slide." Joey informed the somber man. "So which one of these two gets to pay for your failure?…The whore, or your best friend?"

Without raising his head, Starsky muttered, "I'm so sorry, Hutch." And closed his eyes.

"It's okay buddy, it's not your fault." Hutch responded sympathetically.

Sandy's gaze had not moved from directly in front of her. Her body shook slightly. It was as if she had removed herself emotionally from the room. Both detectives worried that they were losing her, mentally. She was already fragile, this may be pushing her over the edge.

Joey nodded at Ricky and Tommy, who moved towards Hutch, grinning with the sickest smiles the blond detective had ever seen. He felt the lump growing in his throat.

To Be Continued

**Feedback: Pretty please, with a cherry on top? **

**Disclaimer: I make no money from this. Starsky and Hutch do not belong to me, I just borrow them, and promise to return them in the same condition I found them in. My characters do belong to me, and I can use them as I see fit, **_**until they start fighting back.**_

**Author's Note: I really want to thank everyone, but especially Eli, Brook, and, of course, Jan. You guys are a blast! Thanks for letting me bounce things off of you… You all have been a tremendous help. When I get stuck, one of you **_**unsticks**_** me…**

**Warning: Oh my, more stuff we all like. H/H not much C in this one. This one and the next chapter may be a little darker (okay, a lot darker) than I'm used to writing. I hope I succeed. Please let me know…**

**Chapter Eleven**

As Tommy approached Hutch on the right side, he asked, "So tell me, how does it feel to have your partner, your _best friend_, choose a trashy whore he hardly knows, over you?" Obviously trying to make Starsky feel even guiltier than he already did.

"He did what he had to do. He knows that I would of done the same thing." Hutch replied staring the creep in his beady little eyes. Hutch was not afraid, he prepared himself for whatever laid ahead.

Tommy moved to the far right of Hutch as Ricky was approaching the Nordic on his left. He was busy placing the brass knuckles that were earlier used on Starsky, on his right hand, opening and closing his fingers around them, until they were in perfect position.

Starsky watched Ricky prepare for 'punishment', swallowing hard, nearly choking on his own heart. Again he lowered his head and closed his eyes, saying a silent prayer for his partner.

Ricky reared back his arm, and delivered a solid blow to Hutch's mid-section, knocking the wind out of him with such a force, he lurched forward in his chair, his face turning almost purple in color. He was gasping for air as Ricky cracked him across the jaw with his bare, left fist. Blood literally flew from his mouth as his head was snapped sideways. With his tongue, he could feel one of his teeth that had been loosened.

Starsky looked over at his friend to see the extent of his damages. Hutch's head was still hanging to the side, his jaw hung open, as a thick strand of saliva and blood dripped from his mouth. He pursed his lips together and spat out what he could.

Before he could completely recover, the next attack of pain hit his left side as Ricky delivered the brass knuckles to his chest wall. He was pretty sure he felt at least one rib crack. Again, he found himself searching for air, coughing and gasping.

Sandy briefly turned to check on Hutch as he sat back up in his seat, her eyes then returning to look in front of her.

"He's okay." Starsky whispered to her in reassurance, hoping what he said was true.

Ricky walked away from Hutch, apparently his 'punishment' was over, as quickly as it started.

"Who wants to go next?" Joey returned, pacing in front of them again.

"I do." Sandy answered quickly.

Both Starsky and Hutch looked at her, then back at Joey.

"No!" They both shouted in unison.

"Me, I'll go next." Hutch said nervously.

"Sandy, keep quiet." Starsky directed the teenager.

"I said I want to go next!" Sandy insisted, looking at Joey.

"Damn it!" Hutch cursed as Martins approached the girl.

"You've got guts, I like that! You're not very bright, but you're brave." Joey bent down to be at eye level with her. "I've got a very special game, just for you." He hissed.

Starsky looked over at Hutch, their eyes locking. Joey reached down, grabbing Sandy's leg where the cable had struck her. His hands were large and strong. She let out a slight whine as he squeezed tightly.

"I wanna see just how tough you really are." Joey flipped his head at Tommy, who quickly retrieved the wire cable that was draped across the over stuffed couch, and handed it to Martins.

This time it was Hutch who closed his eyes.

Joey took the cold wire in his left hand and moved to stand behind her. Taking the bent cable, he slowly ran the item up her bare arm that was tied behind her back. She shivered as she felt a cold chill run up her spine. He bent over, placing his mouth at her ear.

"I'm gonna enjoy this." He whispered as he began tenderly kissing her neck, making his way down to her bared shoulder, then running his tongue back up her neck to her ear. She bent her head towards him, trying to get him to stop.

"Please don't." She whimpered in disgust.

"So I hear you were one of the best whores I had. It's a shame I gotta lose you, but business _is_ business, you understand." He kept his voice low and heavy. "I'm just sorry I never got to find out how good you were!" He laughed sinisterly, then gave her neck one final tease.

Joey moved around in front of her, taking the cable and running it across her bruised cheek and under her chin, holding it there.

"Here's the deal, if you can keep from screaming out for three…no, make it six lashes, that's two a piece." he said looking at his partners, "than no one gets punished…"

"Jesus." Starsky let slip, causing Joey to stare at the defiant brunet.

"…but if you cry out, even once, both pigs get the punishment."

Sandy looked at Starsky, their eyes met. He saw an acceptance in her stare that he hadn't seen before, a resolve. He knew there would be no good outcome to this.

"Don't do this to her, give it to me instead." Hutch pled, his jaw starting to discolor and swell, causing him to lisp slightly.

"You go first." Joey said handing the wire to Ricky and moving out of his way.

Sandy looked up at Ricky as he raised the cable above his head. She slowly closed her eyes, both Starsky and Hutch's grew wider.

She heard the whistle of the cable as it cut through the air an instant before she felt the burning sensation slice across her upper left arm, where she had been branded earlier by Tommy, with the fireplace tool. Her eyes squeezed tighter, she was completely unaware that she was holding her breath.

"Stop!" She heard Starsky scream out.

'_Five more.' _She thought to herself as she began to breathe again, blinking the moisture from her eyes.

She heard the whistle again before she was able to prepare herself. She inhaled deeply as the wire caught her in almost the exact same place, adding to that particular injury. She panted quickly, trying to regain control.

_Four, one-third of the way. _Her mental countdown flashed through her mind.

Ricky proudly handed the cable off to Tommy.

"Sandy, you can stop this!" Starsky begged of her. "Dammit, don't do this. Scream out, say something, anything!" He pled with her. She roughly shook her head no, her breathing finally slowing.

"My God." Hutch whispered and hung his head.

She could feel the warm thick fluid dripping slowly from her wound, down her arm.

Tommy quickly sliced the metal wire across both of her shins. Sandy saw a blinding flash of light behind her closed lids. A wave of nausea hitting her with a vengeance. The stomach acids burning her throat as they rose and she swallowed deeply, trying to hold them back. She leaned forward in the chair, allowing the fluid she had left in her mouth to escape.

_Three, half way there, I can do this! _Between the new pains she was feeling, and the pain already present from her ribs, she felt consciousness slipping away.

Tilting her head back, staring at the ceiling, she fought to stay awake. Darkness outlining her vision, closing in, than disappearing, She didn't even see the next strike coming, all she felt was the slice across her belly. Sandy almost lost it, she almost slipped, she heard herself scream out in agony in her mind, but refused to allow the voice to escape her lips.

"You sons of bitches!" Hutch spewed. "Leave her alone, you're gonna kill her!"

Joey approached Hutch. "Well Einstein, that's the plan."

Starsky closed his eyes, he heard her voice from earlier, in the room. _'They're gonna kill us.' _He was beginning to believe she was right. He wasn't going to be able to save her. He sighed as he lowered his head.

_Two, I'm almost there-It's my fault we're all here, I deserve this. Two more. Come on Sandy, it's not that bad, you can do this. Dammit focus! _She tried to convince herself.

Tommy handed the cable off to the leader. Joey took it proudly in both hands, looking back at the trio. Enjoying the look of defeat and despair on the detectives faces, he walked away from them.

"Stand her up." He ordered Ricky and Tommy. He turned around to face her. "Tommy was right, you're one tough broad." He then looked at Starsky and Hutch. "See what she's willing to do just to save your asses?"

"Sandy, do something, stop this." Hutch tried to convince her as Tommy and Ricky removed her from the chair.

"Untie her hands and turn her around." Joey commanded.

She was facing both detectives, but looking at neither. She was unable to stand on her own, both of Joey's men supporting her on either side. The whistle of the impending strike caught her ear. She closed her eyes, bracing herself as best she could. She felt the lash across the length of her back, she no longer had the strength to yell out. Her knees buckled, she fell to the ground.

Looking over at Starsky, she mouthed, _'I'm okay.' _

The whistle returned…

"Nooo." She heard Starsky shout as she willingly gave into the darkness that continued to bait her.

XXXX

To Be Continued


	11. Chapter 11

**Feedback: Pretty please, with a cherry on top? **

**Disclaimer: I make no money from this. Starsky and Hutch do not belong to me, I just borrow them, and promise to return them in the same condition I found them in. My characters do belong to me, and I can use them as I see fit, **_**until they start fighting back.**_

**Warning: Oh my, more stuff we all like. H **_**and**_** C in this chapter, sort of. This one and the next chapter may be a little darker (okay, a lot darker) than I'm used to writing. I hope I succeed. Please let me know…**

**Chapter Twelve**

With Sandy unconscious, the three captors saw no reason to continue with this game, they wanted to take a break, see if she would come back around. Joey didn't want her to miss out on any of the fun.

Tommy and Ricky held their weapons, training them carefully on the two detectives. They untied both Starsky and Hutch, allowing them to rise out of the chairs. Tommy waived his weapon signaling them to move towards Sandy. Hutch immediately noticed Starsky's limp as he moved towards the unconscious form on the ground. He could tell that whatever had happened to cause his impaired gait, was serious.

"Both of you, pick up the bitch, and take her with you. I don't want any trash left in my living room." Joey fumed. He seemed upset that Sandy had passed out and the game was over so soon.

Hutch bent down, feeling the pulsing pain in the side of his chest, and picked her up placing both arms around her legs at the knees. Starsky carried her by placing his arms under her shoulders and around her chest, both men exchanging nervous looks.

"Be careful, her ribs are in real bad shape." Starsky warned Hutch, who nodded in acknowledgement.

All three captives were taken back to the room. Starsky and Hutch did their best to move her carefully and gently, the brunet hobbling down the hallway on his swollen ankle. Compared to Sandy, his ankle was a minute injury, as far as he was concerned. As they crossed the threshold of the small room, the door was slammed shut and locked behind them.

They carefully placed Sandy on the floor, Hutch quickly taking off his jacket, rolling it up , and placing it under her head. Starsky retrieved the remains of the drapery he had used earlier, placing it behind her, trying to prop her up as much as possible. Her wounds from the cable were visibly horrific. Blood dripped from every lash site, the tissue around each cut was raised and discolored. The skin was flapped back exposing the raw meat underneath.

"How could they do something like this?" Hutch sat back on his heels, wiping his hand downward, across his mouth. "I don't get it…Starsk, how?"

Starsky looked up at his partner, he remembered how Hutch was tormented by the cruelty of the attack on the victim in the alley, Jane Doe. They still had no idea who _she_ was. Now they were witnessing the brutality first hand.

"I dunno partner, I dunno." Starsky shook his head and returned his focus on Sandy's motionless form.

"What happened to you?" Hutch asked his friend, obviously concerned about his ankle.

"I had a run in with a cast iron bar." He glanced at Hutch, then quickly dismissed him.

Hutch could hear the rattling in her breathing. "Starsk, she's gonna die if we don't get her some help, soon."

"No, she's not!…Hutch, she's tougher than most men I've ever met, she's gonna be fine, you'll see." Starsky remained busy, tending to both her old, and her new, injuries. There were just too many of them. He didn't know where to start. Hutch watched his partner's futile efforts.

Sandy moaned, moving her head from side to side. She blinked slowly, taking her time as she came back to the reality that was her nightmare. Starsky took her small hand in his. It seemed so tiny, so fragile. A sharp pain hit as she closed her eyes tightly and drew in a quick breath.

"Shhh, it's okay, breathe…" She listened to Starsky's calming voice, following his directions as best she could, as he stroked her dark hair, with his free hand. "Atta girl, breathe." Starsky shot his partner a worried glance, then looked back at the teenage girl lying before him. "You're gonna be fine, just hang in there."

She opened her eyes and looked directly into the curly haired detectives' face. Starsky saw the pain in her dark eyes, not just the physical, but the emotional pain as well. Her eyes were large and sad. Suddenly, she looked far older than her nineteen years. He felt a stab to his chest, his heart ached, his stomach hurt. A hollow feeling began to consume him as he stared into her soul. He could feel the tears in his own eyes start to well up as he fought to subdue them. He wasn't going to let her die, _he was going to make her live! _Her eyes opened wide, as her back arched. Another wave of pain flowed over her. Starsky could feel her body tense and the short spasms that ran through it, and this time she groaned.

"It's okay…" He tried to talk her through it. "Come on, honey…let it go…" He stuttered, nervous perspiration beading on his upper lip. "Hutch, lift her legs would ya'? She's gonna go into shock. We gotta do something."

Hutch quickly complied with Starsky's instructions, placing a small empty box from the corner under her ankles for support.

Starsky looked back down at her. "Is that any better?"

She didn't or couldn't speak, he wasn't sure which. She simply bit her lower lip and nodded , letting out a heavy sigh.

Hutch brought himself up to Sandy's side. She turned to look at him.

"You okay?" She managed to whisper.

Hutch looked up at Starsky with a look of surprise, than back down at her.

"Me?…I'm fine, Sandy." He said with a soft, remorseful smile. "Don't you worry about me."

"Yeah, that big lug's been through a hell of a lot worse than this." Starsky said as he caught his partners' stare, neither one of them wanting to show her the gravity of their situation, or their despair.

As Starsky brought himself even closer to her, he gently brushed her hair out of her face with his fingertips, his other hand still holding hers. She closed her eyes, his touch felt good. It had been a long time since someone had touched her, that wasn't paying to do so.

"Hey?" He called to her as she opened her eyes back up and looked at him, in response. "I need you to try to stay with us, 'kay? Can you do that?"

"I'll do my best." She coughed slightly.

Hutch looked nervously at Starsky, then back to Sandy. "Hey, tell us something about yourself? Where'd you grow up?" Just trying to keep her talking.

She turned her head to look at Hutch. "The streets…I grew up on…the streets…" She fought to stay awake.

"Whatta 'bout your family? Where do they live?" Starsky asked wanting to know more. If they got out of this, _when _they got out of this, he was going to see to it that this girl got home. Back to her family, back to people who cared, _back to where she belonged._

"Don't have any…" She winced. "It was just me an' my Mom…She died five years ago…On my birth…day." Sandy grew quiet again, she closed her eyes.

"Don't you got any Aunts or Uncles?" Starsky inquired. Hutch became busy, pacing the room, looking for something, anything, that would help them, _help her, _out of this.

"Nope." She kept her eyes closed. "Lisa was the only person I had left in this world…Now,…now she's gone too. Everyone …" She moaned, feeling the onslaught of another attack. "…everyone in my life is taken away. I was never meant to be loved…That's why everyone that gets…close…gets punished…It's because of me…they were gonna punish you guys."

Her body tensed as another phantom pain shot through her. She inhaled sharply and held her breath, her hand squeezing Starsky's with surprising strength. Her moaning mixed with whines, again tearing at Starsky's heart. He couldn't stand to see her like this, couldn't stand the pain, couldn't stand the fear he was feeling for her. _What she did, she did to save them. He was going to make her live! _

"_Oh my God!" _She said, holding her breath, her knuckles turning white around Starsky's hand.

"I'm right here." He said as he leaned towards her. After what seemed like forever, he felt the tension slowly leave her body. Hutch looked over at the two, sighing. He knew what was happening, even if his partner didn't.

Once the pain had passed, Sandy tried to reposition herself, trying to get some relief. The injuries on her back were hurting, her ribs were hurting, her legs, her face, arms…Come to think about it, there wasn't much that didn't hurt. She let out a throaty groan.

"Why'd you do it, Sandy? Why'd you volunteer?" Starsky was curious. "Hutch an' I weren't gonna let them touch you."

"Because…I saw how much it hurt…hurt you…When they hurt him…" She stammered. "I saw it in your face,…your voice…"

"You think it didn't bother us to see them hurt you?" Hutch asked.

She looked over at Hutch. "It's not the same…You two…you're a part of each other…I see that…" She took a deep breath, slowly she turned her head back to the dark haired man. "Whenever something happened to him…it hurt you…I could tell…It was like you…felt his pain…With me, it was just me…no one else had to hurt…there's no one that would have to cry for me…an' that's okay…"

That statement pierced both of their hearts. How sad it must be to have lived the way she had. Alone. She was paid to love, and be loved. To have no one to laugh with, no one to cry with. Starsky and Hutch looked at each other with a new appreciation for the friendship they shared.

"I didn't think it was going to…feel like this." She stated, closing her eyes.

"What was going to feel like this?" Starsky questioned her, furrowing his brow.

"Dying…" Starsky snapped his head to look at his Hutch. He swallowed hard, lowering his gaze back to her.

"You're not dying, damn it!" He let the anger resonate in his voice. "You have to fight. I tell ya', if something happens to you, it would hurt both Hutch and I. You need to fight. I know you can do this, Sandy."

She was sure he was only saying that to make her feel better, they didn't know her. How could they care? Why would they care? She slowly opened her eyes, shaking the urge to sleep, she was tired. Tired of hurting, tired of living.

"Promise me something." She asked Starsky. Hutch joined the two, kneeling on her other side. He too, took her hand in both of his, stroking it gently.

"Anything." Starsky replied.

Again her back arched, Starsky again squeezing her hand for strength, both for him and for her. This time she cried. She rode the roller coaster of pain as it peaked at the top, and slowly rolled back down.

"Promise me, that I'll be the last." She moaned.

"The last?" He wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean.

"You won't let Joey do this…to anyone else…He needs to be stopped…" Starsky looked up at Hutch who shrugged at his friend, than lowered his eyes. "I don't want anyone else to die. Promise me?"

"There ain't no one else gonna die, that includes you Sandy." Starsky said as he looked her over, trying to see if there was anything else he could do. He looked up at his partner. "Help me, Hutch."

The blond put a hand on his buddy's shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. "It's okay, Starsk."

The door to their room opened, Joey came in.

"Time to play the bonus round." He sneered.

To Be Continued


	12. Chapter 12

Feedback: With this chapter, I would **really** appreciate it. It was extremely difficult to write. I'd like to know how I did.

Disclaimer: I make no money from this. Starsky and Hutch do not belong to me, I just borrow them, and promise to return them in the same condition I found them in. My characters do belong to me, and I can use them as I see fit, _until they start fighting back._

**Warning: As most of you have realized, or suspected, this is a death fic, not Starsky or Hutch. This is the chapter I've been dreading to write and post. I wanted to try and make it a peaceful, touching experience, but there is only so much you can do with death…**

**Chapter Thirteen**

Tommy and Ricky joined Martins in the room. One look told them Sandy wasn't going to make it through one more game. This saddened them, but not for the reasons one would think of when it came to losing a life. They were sick, sadistic human beings, if they could be considered _human_ at all. The fact was, that it wasn't going to take much to finish her off.

"She's already dying. Can't you just let her go in peace?" Hutch implored Joey as he stood, causing Tommy and Ricky to nervously raise the weapons they were carrying.

"Why do you think they call it the bonus round? The death is the 'bonus' part." Joey responded to Hutch, causing the blond mans blood to run cold.

Hutch looked down at his partner, who was still by the young girls' side. He lowered his head, squeezing his eyes tightly closed. Starsky felt helpless to save Sandy, but to think about Martins getting his kicks, watching this poor kid die, was too much to bear. He sprang from the ground, like lightening would strike from the sky, and with about as much force. His sudden burst even caught his partner off guard.

Starsky screamed out as he flew through the air. Within the blink of an eye, the brunet had Joey around the chest and was tumbling to the ground. It felt like it was happening in slow motion, and it must have been, because the incensed detective managed to get two good punches in before they hit the ground. One landing on the side of his chest, and one to the right side of his jaw. They hit the floor with a heavy _Thump! He got a slight sense of satisfaction when he actually heard and felt the air escape from the little spawn of Satan_.

Hutch lunged forward to try to help his partner. His right fist caught Tommy across the left temple sending him stumbling backwards against the wall behind him.

Starsky was straddling _Lucifer_, continuing to pummel him, the blood from his knuckles mixing with the blood on Martins' face, throwing punch after punch. Joey's arms flailed wildly about in an attempt to protect his head.

"_You're a sick son of a bitch…I'm gonna kill you." _Starsky spat, unable to control his blinding rage.

Hutch cocked back his right arm, preparing to deliver another powerful blow to Tommy, when he felt the butt of his own gun, connect with the base of his skull. The room went dark as the tall blond man fell like a tree in the woods.

Tommy and Ricky both directed their attention towards Joey and Starsky, simultaneously heading towards them. Each one of the armed men grabbed the detective under the arms, dragging him off their leader, and throwing him to the ground, on his back side.

"Move, and I blow your _god damn _head off!" Tommy warned.

Starsky looked up to see the barrels of both his, and Hutch's weapons, trained on him.

Joey was trying to rise off the floor and gain his composure, wiping the blood off his split lip. Starsky looked over and saw his partner out cold. A part of him was grateful for that.

Martins walked over to Starsky, looking down at him, sneering. He reached down and grabbed a handful of the brunets' curly hair, jerking his head up, forcing the man to look into his eyes. Starsky swallowed hard, trying to subdue his anger and even his pain.

"You're going to regret that pig!" Joey said, an instant before his left fist made contact with Starsky's jaw.

After a moments hesitation, Starsky brought his head back, looking Joey square in the eyes.

"Yeah? Well there's a few things you just may live to regret too." Starsky rebutted.

Joey looked at both Tommy and Ricky, smiling in amazement at the detectives' defiance and audacity.

No warning came, Starsky was unable to prepare himself for the kick that caught him in the abdomen, bending him in half. He began to heave, he thought he would lose what little stomach contents he had remaining. After a few fits of coughing, and gasping, Starsky was finally able to take a breath.

"Tie 'em up." Joey ordered the other two, and with that he turned his back to Starsky, who was still recovering, and spit at the mans' feet. Starsky was trying to get his knees underneath him, with one arm wrapped around his stomach, and one pushing against the floor. Martins turned on his heels and left the room to tend to his own wounds. Up until that moment, Starsky hadn't even noticed the rope that Ricky was carrying.

Starsky looked over at Sandy, she was conscious, but her breathing was becoming more irregular by the minute.

"Please, let me sit with her." Starsky requested of the heartless men, swallowing a lump the size of Mount Everest.

"So you _are_ a sick bastard, after all." Tommy said as he trussed Starsky's wrists securely behind his back, then shoving him onto the ground on his stomach. "You wanna watch her die, too!" Starsky closed his eyes, he wanted to be with her, there for her…

Ricky turned his attention to the unconscious blond spread face down on the ground. After placing Hutch's Magnum in his waistband, he pulled both of the tall mans' arms behind his back, and began his task. Once he and Tommy were finished, they retreated to the doorway. Taking one last glance back at the three hostages, they smiled in satisfaction at each other and exited the room, going to check on Joey and locking the door behind them.

Starsky rolled on his side, taking a look at his silent, motionless partner. He knew Hutch was okay, he felt it. Other than a monstrous headache, he would be alright, at least so far. He also knew that the 'Larry, Moe, and Curly' would be back.

He heard a soft moan coming from the other direction. He rolled onto his back, his hands painfully positioned underneath his tailbone. With considerable effort, he snorted and rolled onto his other side, his mid-section bruised and sore.

_XXXX_

_He locked eyes with Sandy. She had her head turned his direction, watching his every move. Her breathing was much more labored, requiring a certain amount of effort. _

"_Sandy!" He called to her._

_Grunting and snorting he wiggled, twisted and contorted his aching body over to her side._

"_It's okay, Sandy, it's okay. I'm right here." He assured her._

_He managed to turn around and bring himself up along side her. They were face to face, he saw something he couldn't quite explain in her eyes, it was a peace, a comfort, a blessing. He could hear the rattling and noise in her breathing increase…He closed his eyes again…Hutch was right, she was dying, and he couldn't stop it. But he could be there with her, for her. Death never scared him, dying alone did…_

_He was able to scoot himself completely up against her, he wanted so badly to put his arms around her and hold her, but he couldn't, so this would have to do. _

_Her body tensed and arched. He knew she was in pain. She groaned as the wave passed through her._

"_Shhh, it's alright honey…" Starsky didn't know what to say, what to do. He leaned towards her, pressing against her, holding her with his body. The pain he felt in his chest had nothing to do with any physical injuries, yet it was one of the most intense pains he'd ever experienced. "I'm so sorry…" He wept._

"_Don't…be sorry." She gasped. "Don't…be sad." _

_She laid her head against his chest, she could hear his heart beating, as hers was stopping. She took a couple of quick breaths in…Starsky could feel his warm tears as they freely streamed down his face. He felt her hand reach up and stroke his cheek, wiping away the moisture. _

"_It's okay…Please don't cry for me…" She whispered. The time between her breaths increasing…_

"_I'm here. It's okay, if you have to go, I understand." He whispered back, kissing the top of her head, giving her permission to let go. He wasn't even aware of the pain in his wrists as he pulled against his restraints, trying to free his arms. _

"_Thank you, Dave." She barely audible. _

_He felt himself actually trying to breath for her…leaning against her…she felt his arms wrap around her, even though it didn't really happen…four quick breaths…she leaned back against him…Her arm on his chest…_

_Two quick breaths…_

"_I'm happy, now…"_

"_I'm glad Sandy."_

_One fast panting breath…_

_Nothing…Her arm fell to her side…_

_He lay there, waiting for the next breath. It never came. He sobbed, tightly closing his eyes, squeezing out the moisture that was blurring his vision. There was someone to cry for her…_

_XXXX_

He wasn't sure how long he had laid there against her body. He heard a rustling sound behind him, then he heard the familiar voice…

"Starsk?" Hutch said in a low caring tone, sensing his partners pain.

"She's gone, Hutch." He said without moving away from her, his face was frozen in anger, his lips pierced together…

To Be Continued…


	13. Chapter 13

Feedback: As always, the right thing to do.

Disclaimer: I make no money from this. Starsky and Hutch do not belong to me, I just borrow them, and promise to return them in the same condition I found them in. My characters do belong to me, and I can use them as I see fit, _until they start fighting back._

**Author's Notes: Thanks to Brook, Jan and Eli for all their help. They knew this was a difficult week for me and were there for me. This chapter may not have happened without Brook's help. I had a hard time concentrating and she talked me through it.**

**Warning: This chapter has some bad language (a lot). It is not meant to offend anyone. **

**Chapter 14**

Hutch turned towards his friend. "Aw, Starsk, I'm sorry." He gave his condolences. Hutch knew that his partner and that girl had gone through some stuff together before he got here, what it was, he wasn't sure, but he knew it had affected him. It was hard to move with both hands tied behind him.

"It's okay." He whispered.

"You alright?"

"Fine." He snorted as he blinked to clear his eyes.

There was something in his voice, something off, way off. Hutch sensed it. He had seen his partner have a tough time dealing with certain things before. But he always felt he still had a grasp on reality, a hold on the situation, but this time was different. Hutch got an eerie feeling about his partner this time…

"Starsk?"

"She had no one, Hutch…" Starsky spoke, still cradling Sandy as best he could. "No one to love her, no one to fight for her, to protect her…" He rested his chin on the top of her head.

"She had you partner, when she needed it most, she had you." Hutch did his best to console his friend, but his words had little effect.

"You okay, Blondie?" Starsky finally asked.

"Me?…Yeah, I'm fine." He lied, the truth was he felt like his head was going to explode any second.

Starsky leaned, one last time, into Sandy, giving her one final 'hug'. He blinked quickly, and took a deep breath, rolling away from her lifeless form. He came to rest on his back, staring at the ceiling, sighing heavily, trying to adjust his hands to get them into a more comfortable position.

"Okay, what's your plan?" Starsky asked.

"My plan?" Hutch turned to look at the brunet. "I was kinda hopin' you had something in mind."

"T'riffic." Starsky growled as he turned towards his partner.

"Jeez, Starsk." Hutch exclaimed when he saw the new bruise on the side of his face. "Look at you."

"What? You don't think it adds character?"

"Well Gordo, lets just hope they don't go addin' any _more _character, 'kay?"

"Hutch?" Starsky called to him.

"Yeah, buddy."

"I made a promise to her, you know? I can't let Martins do this to anyone else."

"And?" Hutch knew there was more.

"I plan on keepin' that promise."

"Let's hope you do."

They heard the heavy footsteps coming down the hallway…They heard the lock disengage as the door slowly opened. Tommy entered first, followed by Ricky and Joey, in that order. Starsky felt a certain amount of satisfaction seeing Joey's battered face.

Tommy moved towards Hutch, while Ricky approached Starsky, both still brandishing their weapons. Joey knelt by Sandy's side, he felt for a pulse in her neck and didn't find one. He looked up at Ricky.

"She's dead." He sounded disappointed. "We missed it." He looked down at Starsky who was staring him in the eye with pure and utter hatred. "Did you get to enjoy it?"

"Fuck you." The dark haired detective cursed.

"The whore died like a whore, on her back…" Joey taunted Starsky. "I hear she was quite good, too bad you didn't get to find out…" He looked up at Ricky and smiled, then looked back down at the restrained brunet. "…it's not too late, we can untie you, if you'd still like to take a shot at her…"

"You sick bastard!" Hutch shouted out.

"Take them to the living room." Joey ordered Tommy and Ricky. "Put them in the chairs. It's time to have a little fun."

Ricky jerked Starsky to his feet, as Tommy grabbed Hutch and pulled him up. The sudden movement, caused Hutch's head to spin and pound. He closed his eyes to keep from getting sick. Joey rose and led them out of the room, Starsky took one final look back at Sandy's body, remembering what had happened. Joey watched the detective as he reflected.

"Miss her?" He quipped as they entered the living room.

"Shut up." Starsky shot back, earning him a heavy shove, as he again landed on his injured ankle.

Tommy placed the gun against Starsky's temple, pressing hard against his skull. "Sit!" He commanded the brunet. Hutch followed willingly, still feeling too woozy to resist with any real force.

Starsky watched his partner being tied to the chair. He began to physically push against Tommy, struggling to keep himself free.

"You sons of bitches won't get away with this!" He argued.

He was roughly placed in the chair, his eyes locked on Joeys', as Tommy tied his arms to the back of the chair, pure defiance piercing the deep brown orbs staring back at him.

"Get rid of her, like we did the others." Joey instructed Ricky and Tommy, who obediently headed to the room to recover Sandy's body.

Joey turned back around to the two detectives. Starsky was staring at the empty chair that sat beside him, between he and Hutch. He thought about Sandy being tied there, whipped there, and the sacrifice she made there. Volunteering herself, to keep Starsky and Hutch from being harmed. His heart jumped to his throat, and almost found it's way out of his mouth, before the brunet swallowed it back down into place.

"Ah, you really miss the slut, don't ya? I'm havin' my boys take care of her in a fittin' manner…" Starsky locked eyes, once again with Joey, looking up through his eyebrows at the sinister man. "They're gonna throw her out with the trash, right where she belongs."

Hutch watched curiously as Joey continued to taunt Starsky, trying to get a reaction, any reaction, from him.

"She died like she lived, worthless garbage. You see, I owned that bitch, just like I'm gonna own you!" Joey seethed, bring his face close to Starsky's.

Hutch could see his partners' temper rise, his breathing increase, his face start to flush. "Starsk?" He tried to warn his friend. That one word spoke volumes, _Stay calm, don't do anything, please buddy, do it for me?_

"Up yours!" Starsky cursed.

"I own you pig…Now say it!" Joey prodded.

"Fuck you!" He replied, receiving a backhand across his mouth. He felt Joey's knuckles connect with his teeth on the inside of his mouth. The fresh copper taste of blood filled his senses.

"Starsk!" Hutch raised his voice, begging his partner to bite his tongue, not wanting him to keep antagonizing the psychotic man in front of them.

"You know, if you listened to your partner, you may live a little longer." Joey warned. "But not much…" He brought his hand back the other direction, snapping the dark haired mans' head back. He lowered his head, a thick strand of blood dripped from Starsky's mouth. He rolled up his tongue and spat at Joey's feet.

Joey looked up and saw Ricky and Tommy carrying Sandy's vacant body towards the door. They ran her into the wall, not watching where they were going.

"Careful." Starsky said out of reflex, hating to see her being treated with such disrespect.

"You think she really cares?" Tommy looked at Starsky, than back at Ricky as they both burst out laughing.

Ricky dropped Sandy's legs to the ground and walked over to Joey. He reached in the back of his waistband and retrieved Hutch's Magnum, handing it over to Joey.

"Here, you might need this." Ricky commented, than looked back at Tommy, "I don't think she's gonna put up much of a fight." He smiled at Starsky and returned to his task of removing the body.

Joey went into the kitchen as Sandy was taken out of the house. Starsky and Hutch both paid their silent respects as she disappeared out of sight. They loaded her into the van, and Starsky and Hutch heard the engine start and the vehicle drive away. Both detectives looked up to see Joey return with both hands occupied. In one hand he held the wire cable, still stained with Sandy's blood. In the other hand, a hunting knife.

"Who wants to be next?" He hissed, walking in between the two.

Both Starsky and Hutch looked at each other, than back at Joey.

"You don't want to do this…Do you have any idea what the penalty is for killing a cop?" Hutch tried desperately to reason with the insane man as Joey responded in a fit of laughter.

"Are you volunteering?" Joey asked, causing Starsky to sit up straight. He knew what happened the last time someone 'volunteered'.

"Don't touch him." Starsky tried to sound threatening.

Joey drew his arm up high, bringing the whip down across Starsky's back, causing the man to yell out grudgingly. The cable tore through his thin shirt and ripped open the tender skin across his shoulders. Starsky's head fell to his chest.

"Stop it!" Hutch pled.

Joey ignored the blond man, obviously having to much fun with the darker man.

"I own you…Now say it!" Joey demanded.

Starsky bit his bottom lip, "Fuck you." He growled.

"Say it!" He ordered as he hit Starsky across the jaw again, with his fist.

Starsky's head snapped back quickly, just in time for the wire to slice across his chest.

"Jesus Christ! Just say it, partner. Please, say it!" Hutch implored his friend.

"You're real brave, when it comes to beating up women, and people that are tied up. Why don't you untie me? You chicken?" Starsky taunted.

Joey looked at the man in front of him.

"That's it ain't it? You're afraid." Starsky goaded, he could tell by the look in Joey's eyes, he had hit a nerve. Perhaps he was bullied in school…maybe by an older brother? Either way, there was some reason why _being afraid _or _showing fear _was unacceptable behavior for him.

"Stop it." Hutch whispered to his friend, but Starsky couldn't hear him. Starsky couldn't hear anything but his own anger.

"You aren't shit. I'm not 'fraid of no one." Joey rebutted.

"Prove it! Untie me…"

Joey looked around, Ricky and Tommy were gone, it was just him. No one to contest his actions, and from the looks of things, no one to contest the kill. Starsky was in no condition to be much of a match for Joey, and Joey would love to be able to enjoy this kill to himself.

He set the cable down beside the chair. Looking over at Hutch, he moved behind Starsky's chair.

"I hope you're going to enjoy watching your friend die…" He seethed.

"Starsky, don't do this, buddy." Hutch said, knowing that he was going to do it anyway.

Joey used the knife to cut the ropes that bound Starsky to the chair. Using the hilt of the knife, he brought it down against the base of the brunet's skull, knocking him off balance and throwing him forward to the floor. He quickly moved his way around the chair and grabbed the injured man by the hair, pulling him closer to him. Hutch sat watching helplessly.

Joey looked over at Hutch, catching his gaze, than looking back to the man on the ground in front of him.

"Come on tough guy, show me what you've got." Joey fumed as he threw Starsky's head into the drywall, the force, putting a hole in it. Starsky pulled his head back, the blood from his temple immediately flowing down his face and into his eyes. He blinked rapidly, _one_ to get the blood out of his vision and _two_, trying to stop the room from spinning. Joey reached down to pull the detective to his feet. Starsky used his hands, and the wall to climb up, leave blood smeared on the Navajo White wall.

"Looks like your girlfriend lasted longer than you're gonna." Joey said as he gave the man an upper cut, sending him retreating to the ground. He followed that with a kick to his gut.

"Stop this! Take me instead, you bastard!" Hutch cried out. He was watching Starsky die, right in front of his eyes.

Starsky found himself on the ground, spitting and breathing hard, he saw nothing except the fireworks and flashes of red before him. He's not sure where it came from. He felt it begin as a small sensation, slowly growing into a wave of hatred and strength he didn't know he had left inside him. As it metastasized and increased he couldn't control it. He leapt from the ground, screaming out, but not hearing his own voice. He grabbed the seething, pathetic excuse of a human being in front of him, around the neck and tackled him to the ground.

Before he knew it, he was straddling Joey's upper body, pounding him in the head, the chest, the neck…Anywhere. He didn't even see look on the man's face turn, from a look of triumph, to one of pure terror. Even if he had seen it, it probably wouldn't have mattered.

Starsky couldn't hear the voice of his partner, his best friend, begging him to stop. He noticed his hands were moist and warm, they were red, he wasn't sure whether it was his blood, or Joey's. He felt nothing. Nothing but rage.

To Be Continued


	14. Chapter 14

Feedback: As always, the right thing to do.

Disclaimer: I make no money from this. Starsky and Hutch do not belong to me, I just borrow them, and promise to return them in the same condition I found them in. My characters do belong to me, and I can use them as I see fit, _until they start fighting back._

**Author's Notes: Thanks to Brook, Jan and Eli for all their help. They knew this was a difficult week for me and were there for me. This chapter may not happened without Brook's help. I had a hard time concentrating and she talked me through it.**

**Warning: This chapter has some bad language. It is not meant to offend anyone. **

Chapter Fifteen

It seemed to be coming from far away, a vague voice, growing louder as time went on…

"Stop it! Starsky, let him go…You're gonna kill him…Damn it, stop it!…."

It was Hutch's voice, he was getting through, he saw the change in his partners demeanor. Starsky's punches slowed, lessened…He blinked quickly…He saw the bloody man on the ground underneath him…He returned to reality, realizing his left hand cocked back behind his head, ready to be released. He paused in the moment, time froze. He looked to Hutch, their eyes locked.

"Buddy?" Hutch pled. "Don't do this."

"Oh God." Starsky stammered as he rolled off of Martins, landing on his side and rolling to his back, staring at the ceiling and breathing heavily. He could hear the man moan and rasp next to him.

"You okay, partner?" Hutch asked gently. "It's alright buddy, I'm here."

"Hutch…" Starsky swallowed hard.

"Yeah, Starsk?"

"I coulda killed him." Starsky stated.

"Yeah, but you didn't." Hutch felt the need to remind his friend.

"But I coulda…if you hadn't stopped me, I woulda." Starsky turned on his side and rose to his knees, scouring the floor for the knife.

He found it not far from Hutch's feet. Retrieving the weapon he crawled towards his partner. Taking note of the new pains he was experiencing, now that the adrenalin had worn off. As he reached Hutch, he slowly moved around the chair and began to work on the ropes, taking care not to slice his friend's wrists in the process, both of his hands trembling. The blood still running down the side of his face.

"Starsk, look out!" Hutch yelled, a second too late.

Joey flew through the air landing on top of Starsky, the knife flying out of his hand and knocking what little wind he had left, out of him in one swift movement. He felt a tight grip seize his injured ankle, causing him to scream out, flashes of light all around him. He tried to back away from the pain, kicking at his attacker with his good leg. Joey pursued him, backing him up against the wall, retrieving the knife that was under the chair.

"You son of a bitch!" Starsky spat.

"You thought you had me, didn't you, pig?" Martins taunted, blood falling freely from his mouth and off his face. He looked at the pathetic man on the ground in front of him, he looked spent.

Hutch pulled frantically at the ropes that bound him, Starsky had loosened them, he just hoped it was enough.

Joey reached above the defeated detective on the ground, slamming his fist into the side of his face. Rearing back up he raised the knife and brought it down into Starsky's upper left arm.

"Fuck!" The brunet cursed in a senseless, mindless fit of pain as Joey yanked the weapon out of his arm.

"Starsk!" Hutch cried out, worried about his partner.

"Just like I said, I own you!" Joey smirked. The man felt no pain, or at least he wasn't showing it.

Starsky reached up with his right hand and grabbed the madman's wrist that held the knife. They struggled, the detective using all his strength to overpower Martins. In a moment of insane power he yelled out and brought his upper body to the sitting position, slowly overpowering the man in a war of wills. He slammed Joey's wrist against the wall, squeezing tightly.

Martins unwillingly released his grip on the knife, it dropping to the floor, as Starsky caught him with a right fist across the side of Joey's temple. In one swift move Starsky sprung to his knees knocking Joey to his back. The evil man scrambling to get his feet underneath him.

"You'll never own me, you piece of shit!" He said defiantly, their eyes locked.

Starsky reached down, to his right, and retrieved the knife from the ground and held it out in front of him as Joey lunged forward. The blade of the knife embedded itself in Martins' mid section. Starsky held Joey's shoulder with his left hand, and the knife in his right, their eyes met as both of Joey's hands reached for the weapon that had impaled him. His eyes grew wide, and Starsky's narrowed. The detective could feel the flow of his warm blood dripping over the knife and onto his hand.

Starsky leaned in, placing his mouth by the dying man's ear and whispered. "This is for Sandy." He said as he pushed the knife in up to the hilt. He heard a groan escape Joey's lips.

Joey's body went limp and fell on the ground beside Starsky. He could here the gurgling in his breathing, as the brunet fell backwards, to the ground right on his tailbone. Starsky's breathing was rapid, he was on the verge of exhaustion, it showed in his face, his body, his eyes. He looked at Joey laying on the ground, the life being flushed from his body.

He felt the hand on his shoulder, but never saw him coming over to him. He heard the voice…

"Starsk? It's okay. I'm right here, buddy." He looked up and locked eyes with Hutch for a brief moment, then he looked back at Joey as he took his last breath.

"I killed him, Hutch." He stuttered.

"You didn't have a choice." Hutch reassured him.

"Didn't I?" Starsky looked back at his friend, not completely clear on what just happened.

Hutch dropped his head, tapping his forehead against the side of his partners head, squeezing his shoulder tightly in support, than releasing it. He rose to his feet, pacing the room, looking around frantically. He disappeared, out of sight, into the other room.

He was looking for something, but what it was, Starsky wasn't sure. The only thing Starsky happened to be sure of, was that he felt nothing, he was numb, physically and emotionally. He leaned his back against the wall, and took deep even breaths, trying to slow his respiration rate. He looked back down at Martins, he still felt nothing…

Hutch returned with his Magnum in one hand and a dish towel in the other. He dropped to his knees at his partners side, examining the new knife wound, wrapping the towel around his arm.

"Hutch?…" Starsky said feebly, his words cut off.

"Yeah, partner?"

"I don't feel so good." Starsky looked at his friend as his eyes rolled back, and his head lolled to the side.

"Whoa buddy, where ya' goin'? Stay with me, Starsk." Hutch pled as he supported Starsky's weight, assisting him to the ground. He was afraid Starsky was going into shock, the color of his face paled.

Hutch desperately kept talking to his partner, trying to keep him with him, but to no avail. Starsky was out, and Hutch was alone.

He heard the kitchen door close, the voices of Tommy and Ricky coming through the kitchen.

"Honey, we're home." One of them called out.

Hutch quickly took cover, Magnum in hand, his back planted firmly against the wall, by the doorway.

Tommy passed through the doorway first, with Ricky following close. He came to an abrupt halt just inside the room, as he absorbed the scene before him. Joey's body laying on the floor, across the room. They quickly moved towards him…

"What the hell…"Ricky started to say as Hutch fell in behind them.

"Don't move!" He ordered, his voice not wavering. Tommy was at Joey's side already, feeling for a pulse.

"He's dead, Ricky." Tears began to well up in the younger man's eyes.

"That's right, my partner killed him…" Hutch stated. "I wish I could take the credit, but I can't. Now put your hands up, and don't move." He reiterated.

"Your scum of a partner, killed our brother?" Ricky growled through clenched teeth.

"Your brother?" Hutch repeated. "Joey was your brother?"

Both felons raised their hands level with their shoulders, obeying Hutch's directions, who kept looking back, checking on his partner, who had yet to move.

"We'll come back, you know that don't you?" Ricky spoke for both of them. "And when we do, he's the first one we're coming after." He tipped his head in the unconscious detectives direction.

"I'd think twice about that, if I were you! You come after him, you better take me out first." The tall Nordic warned, the desire to protect Starsky ever present in Hutch's voice.

Hutch reached down by the chair and retrieved the extra rope left behind when they had bound him there.

"Turn around." He instructed.

After binding their hands securely behind their backs, maybe even tighter than really necessary, he corralled them out to the van, fastening them to the metal interior of the vehicle, before returning for his partner.

Once back inside the house, he again knelt next to Starsky, noticing how tired and fragile his friend now appeared to him.

"It's over, buddy. It's all over." He said encouragingly as he grabbed the big lug by the arm and hoisted it around his neck, drawing his friend up into whats's known as the fireman's carry.

He let out a grunt as he took the full weight of the dark haired man onto his shoulders, and stood upright, carrying him out and placing him in the passenger seat as gently as possible, strapping him in with the seatbelt.

He went around to the back of the vehicle and addressed Ricky.

"Keys." Hutch demanded.

"Fuck you!" Ricky responded.

Hutch reflexively back handed the man, splitting his lip with his knuckles.

"Shut up, and tell me where the key are asshole." Hutch repeated his demand, getting no response from the filth sitting before him.

He decided not to waste anymore time playing games, he moved to the front of the van. Opening the door, he leaned in under the console and pulled the wires. He knew how to hot wire the vehicle, he just wasn't as fast as Starsky would have been at it.

"Hang in there, partner." He said out loud.

After a few minutes, the engine came to life…"Ha!" Hutch exclaimed in triumph.

He jumped behind the wheel and headed straight for the nearest hospital, talking to his partner the whole way as if he were awake…

"We did it Starsk, you did it…It's gonna be okay, buddy…Martins is dead…You kept your promise…" He clearly expected his friend to answer him, but that didn't happen.

To Be Continued…

Feedback: As always, the right thing to do.

Disclaimer: I make no money from this. Starsky and Hutch do not belong to me, I just borrow them, and promise to return them in the same condition I found them in. My characters do belong to me, and I can use them as I see fit, _until they start fighting back._

**Author's Notes: Thanks to all who have continued to read and review this story. Also thanks to everyone for sticking with it. **

_**Keep an eye out, what seems to be over for now, may just come back later on, with a vengeance…**_

**Epilogue (Six Months later)**

It had been six months since their ordeal with the Martins brothers. Both Ricky and Tommy had been sentenced to life in prison without parole. That held more in it for Ricky than it did for Tommy. About two months after they were sentenced, Tommy had been killed in a prison fight. Ricky murdered the prisoner responsible for his brothers death, sealing his fate. After going to trial on that murder charge, and being found guilty, he was transferred to San Quentin's death row, only weeks earlier.

For Hutch, he recovered quickly from the ordeal, but for Starsky it had been a different case altogether. He had spent nearly a week in the hospital, after having surgery to repair his badly damaged ankle, which required two months of physical therapy, just to get him back where he needed to be.

But his physical injuries still healed faster than his emotional ones did. This was one case that he let get to him, he tried not to, but it did…It took him the longest, to get past what had happened to Sandy. What he and Sandy had to go through, both together, and separately. His outlook on mankind, and life in general, sunk into a deep gray abyss, and stayed there for some time.

Slowly the upbeat, childlike detective returned to normal, or at least what was considered normal for him. He had both Hutch and the department psychiatrist to help him find his way back. This was the first time that what had happened to him, required a _'shrink', _as he used to refer to them as, to help him through it. Mind you, it wasn't his idea to see the therapist, it was required by the department, but in the end Starsky was glad that it was.

Once they located Sandy's body, Starsky and Hutch both made sure she received a proper burial, compliments of the dynamic duo, complete with a beautiful headstone, compliments of Captain Dobey and Huggy Bear. The first Jane Doe they found in the alley was never identified. No one came looking for her, no one seemed to care that she was gone. No one ever cried for her…

It was a long time before Huggy was able to send Starsky or Hutch into anymore leads or information, for fear of some elaborate set -up happening, and him losing his two best friends once again. It took awhile for Huggy to get over his feeling of betraying them, but over time, they convinced him that he had no part or fault in it.

XXXX

Dobey called both Starsky and Hutch into his office. He knew what affected one of them affected the other.

"Yeah cap', what'd ya' wanna see us about?" Hutch asked the large round man, as he sat across the desk from him.

Starsky immediately headed to the water cooler, retrieving a paper cup, and filling it with the cool liquid. He placed it to his lips, turning the cup bottoms up and downing the contents quickly, squashing the cup in his left hand and throwing it at the trash can, for a two point score. Dobey watched him, clearly irritated by his childish behavior, but glad to see it at the same time.

"Sit down, Starsky." Dobey directed the brunet.

Starsky shrugged his shoulders and took his seat, obeying his superior officer. "What is it cap'? You make it sound serious."

"I'm afraid it is, son." He said looking at his finest pair of detectives on the force.

Hutch looked up at Dobey who took a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and dabbed his face.

"I just got word from head quarters…" He paused sighing heavily.

"Yeah?…And?…" Starsky baited him to continue.

"And it seems there had been a major malfunction in the transfer of Ricky Martins…" His words dropped off as he looked to the detectives for a reaction.

"Major malfunction? What is that supposed to mean?" Hutch furrowed his brow.

"They just informed me that it seems he escaped during that transfer to San Quentin."

"Cap', that transfer took place almost three weeks ago…" Starsky begged for an explanation. "Why the hell are we just findin' out about it?"

"Looks like there was some major cover up that happened with this. The guard that was responsible for the escape, knew someone pretty high up that worked at San Quentin. He managed to get his Martins' taken off the roster. Nobody had any record for him, so no one knew he was missin'."

"How'd they finally find out?" Hutch had to ask the question both men were thinking.

"Well it looks like Martins was on some pretty heavy psychiatric medications at the first prison. When the pharmacy called to transfer the prescriptions, and San Quentin couldn't find any record on the inmate, all hell broke loose."

"And that's when you heard about it…"Starsky surmised. "T'rriffic."

"Now see here, I've got every available man out looking for this convict! But we have no idea where he's headed, or what he's up to."

Both detectives looked at each other, remembering Ricky's threat to come after Starsky in revenge for his brothers' death.

"Until he's caught," Dobey continued, "I want both of you watching each others backs, and looking over your shoulders. You got that?"

"Yeah, Cap', we've got it." Starsky answered with a short terse voice. He knew this wasn't his captains' fault, but that didn't make it sit any easier. Dobey was just lucky Mama Starsky had taught her son not to shoot the messenger.

Both Starsky and Hutch rose from their chairs and exited the office, Starsky holding the door open for his tall partner, then following right behind. Hutch made sure to keep an eye on his friend, watching his every move. Body language, facial expressions, even hand gestures. He knew the brunet well enough to be able to tell what was going on in his head without either one of them saying a word.

He could tell what Dobey had just said was weighing heavily on the brunet. His body was tense, his posture had straightened. Hutch could see the muscles in Starsky's jaw flex and release as he clenched his teeth.

"Hey, you're not worried about this guy, are you partner?" Hutch asked his friend, drawing him in closer, speaking in almost a whisper.

"Me? No, I'm not worried about him. I just can't stomach the fact that he's out. I feel like I'm letting' Sandy down. What if he gets to someone else?"

"You know this ain't your fault, you kept your promise. You can't help it if some asshole, let the piece of shit get away…He'll turn up again."

"Yeah, I know buddy. No offense, but that doesn't make me feel any better…" Starsky grumbled as he sighed and looked around the squad room.

"Starsk, you know he said he's comin' after you first…" Hutch reminded him.

"Yeah, but with you watching my back, he don't stand a chance." Starsky winked at his partner as he slapped his back in a vote of confidence.

The End (For Now)


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